Our Demented Destiny
by Tamaraw
Summary: Life seems to hate Lily and James as their 7th year starts... With wonky spells, hidden surprises, animagi, and pranks, it seems that everything is going wrong! But what has destiny have to say? Surprises in store! Must Read! JL, SOC, ROC
1. Screams and Laughs

"POTTER, you bull-headed, conceited, brainless prat! Come out here this instant!" a shrill voice woke the majority of the Gryffindor dorms as an irate prefect pounded her fist on the door of the boys dormitories. Upon receiving no reply, she increased the volume of both her voice and her blows.

By then, many people had emerged from their dorm rooms, clamoring to see what sort of damage had been done. They were not surprised in the least to see that, once again, they had been provided with entertainment to welcome them back from the holidays.

But not everyone was happy about this 'incident'. No, there was one person who definitely did not welcome this turn of events.

Lily Evans stood, fuming, outside the boys' dormitories. There was only one sentence zooming through her head, that being _'MUST KILL POTTER! '_. Nevertheless, Lily cringed as she heard the laughs of her fellow gryffindors.

'You should be used to it by now…' she berated herself mentally. 'After all, Potter's only been doing this to you for 6 whole years! So chin up and bare it, and hopefully, after breakfast, you can coax him into changing it back…' she thought despondently.

"Oh, who the heck am I fooling?" she groaned quietly to herself. "Potter's never going to change it back…"

Heading down the stairs, she quickly teamed up with her best friends, Marikara Sovrinoski and Tianna Blake. Tia had gasped upon seeing her, and Kara had uttered a stifled shriek of terror, since, aside from emerald-green hair, she now had bright red eyes to match.

Kara got over her terror quickly, and nudged Tia with her elbow.

"At least people can't say that she's got a redhead temper for a while…" she joked, and all three girls broke out laughing, as they walked, arms linked, down to breakfast, holding their heads high.

A/N: short, i know, but give me a chance, this is only the beginning... the next chappies will be long! now, here's the time to tell me what you think... please click the little review button, i'm sure you know what it is... -P


	2. Pet Names and Being Watched

**A/N: HELLO! Tami here! Yup! I updated! GO ME! YAY! I'm happy for myself! Anyway, to explain, just in case you are confused: the first 2 chapters are pretty bland, and take place in Lily's 6th year, but the next chapters are WAY better, I promised! I have it all planned out till the end, so there is no way that I can blame writer's block… REMEMBER THAT! Anyway, here's chapter 2! Lily's friends are kinda introduced here… kinda…. Anyway, like I said, here's chapter 2! Please leave a review when you're done! Latahz!**

"Lily! Lily! Hurry up or you'll miss the train!", Tia yelled, frantically scurrying all over the dorm room, throwing clothes over her shoulder into an over-stuffed trunk, not bothering to fold even the smallest ankle sock. "Hell, at the rate I'm going, even I'm going to miss the train!"

A sound of a toothpaste-muffled snort came from behind the bathroom door, followed by a coughing fit.

"Guess you'll be stuck here for the hols then…" Kara stated, her eyes closed as she sat calmly on her four-poster, her feet tucked under her in the lotus position. "Oh, and lily," she added, turning her head, eyes still closed, toward the bathroom door, "how many times have I told you to rinse out your mouth before attempting to laugh? Shows just how much you listen to me, doesn't it?"

"It does, actually, Kara-banana." Lily commented, emerging form the bathroom.

Kara clapped her hand to her ears. "Don't call me that, Lily! Only my mother calls me that!"

Both Lily and Tia looked delighted. "You never told us that your mom calls you that, _Kara-banana_." Tia teased, straightening up from her packing.

Kara looked ready to kill.

The train compartment was silent as Lily looked fondly, and rather enviously, at her friends, who were asleep on pillows. Sleep eluded her, and no matter how she tried, her pillow had ended up on her lap, unused. She rearranged it before turning her attention to her friends once more.

"What'd I do without you, girls?" Lily whispered softly as she looked at her friends. They were so different, the three of them, yet so _alike_…

There was curvaceous, diminutive, Tia, amusing with her long dark russet hair, hazel eyes, carefree, as-happy-go-lucky-as-they-come personality, and ever-present smile; and tall, slim Kara, lovable with her short black locks, dark sapphire eyes, and a shy, yet mysterious, smile.

'And there's me…' Lily thought to herself ruefully, chuckling as Tia started to murmur about tap dancing like an elephant, her leg twitching sporadically as she danced in her sleep.

Little did Lily know that somewhere on that slow-moving train, sleep eluded someone else, as well…

James Potter sat in a compartment along the end of the train, looking at his snoring (and in Peter's case, drooling) friends. James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew.

'The wackiest bunch to ever hit Hogwarts! Wandering and maraudering all over the place.' James pronounced to himself softly. The boys had heard that once on their many visits to the teachers' staffroom to play a trick or two on their 'favorite' professor, the Potions master, Prof. Roma. That very night, they had had a new name for themselves.

"The Marauders!" they had exclaimed upon returning to their Common Room. And in less than a week, the entire school knew it.

James smiled, but his good mood was short-lived, as he heard rain splatter against the window.

He turned with a sigh, and looked out at the black night sky. They had left Hogwarts about an hour ago, and weren't expecting to arrive for about 6 or 7 hours… He wanted to sleep, needed to sleep, and yet, he couldn't… why?

'Oh, I wonder…' he thought to himself sarcastically.

He was worried, plain and simple. His parents, both aurors, were still off on an assignment with the ministry. He hadn't heard from them for about a fortnight now, and though they had been gone for way longer before, that didn't stop him from worrying about their safety.

And besides, he was bored… He considered waking Sirius up to play a game of Exploding Snap, but he knew that Sirius needed his rest. Sirius was going home in a few hours. An ordinary bystander might have gone 'so what!' but James knew better… To put it kindly, Sirius didn't have the best parent-son relationship with his parents.

'If only his fan club knew about this…' he though with a silent laugh. 'Most likely, they'd storm his house and try to send his parents and Regulus to Azkaban… Lotsa luck that'll do!'. James added derisively, a scowl on his face.

Then he wiped it off and his face became neutral once more as he looked at the pale, tired looking boy who was fast asleep. Every one of the Marauders had problems, he knew that, but Remus probably had it worst. Remus Lupin was a werewolf, and had to go through many painful monthly transformations which left him hurt both physically and emotionally. It wasn't just that, though. James knew, that because of the prejudice of many people, Remus would find it very hard to survive once they left school.

He groaned and ran a hand through his messy black hair, making it even messier. He always did that when he was nervous or frustrated. He couldn't stand this! Why the heck was he thinking about this anyway? He pulled a box of Every Flavor Beans from beside him on the seat and reached it, popping a red one into his mouth. Apples. Yummy… Nice and red too… Reminded him a lot of a certain red-head, he thought, and closed his eyes, imagining her hair, hey beautiful smile, her shining eyes… and slowly, still thinking about Lily Evans, he fell asleep.

Lily had fallen asleep somehow in the night, and when she opened her eyes again, it was dawn. She looked out her window at the beautiful sunrise.

'I could paint this!' she thought excitedly, picking up a pad and pencil and starting to sketch. Suddenly, Kara jerked awake and she shoved the person next to her, namely Tia, to the floor, shouting.

"SIRIUS BLACK! I DON'T CARE IF YOU ARE THE CUTEST FRIGGIN' COCKROACH IN THE ENTIRE CASTLE, I'M NOT GOING TO KISS YOU! STAY A COCKROACH FOR ALL I CARE!"

Lily stared at her for a second before bursting into hysterical laughter.

"What… What was that… all about!" she managed to choke out between gasps for air.

Tia, who was awake now, got off the floor, rubbing her head, and Lily had to restrain her from throttling the bleary-eyed Kara.

After calming down and hearing what happened, Tia had to agree, it was pretty funny.

"Pity I couldn't see it properly, though."

Suddenly, the compartment door opened and Lily and Kara groaned as the Marauders (minus Peter) walked in.

"Never fear, ladies, that's what we're here for!" James Potter announced, waving his wand to enlarge the compartment so that they could all fit comfortably, while Sirius winked at Kara and she looked away, ignoring him.

Lily was on her feet in a second.

"What do you want, Potter!" she spat, her temper flaring.

"Whoa, Lily-love, calm down…" he held his hands up in mock-defeat. "We're just here to oblige Tia."

'Lily's just so cute when she's mad…' he thought, looking at her blazing green eyes, which turned to her friend at the mention of her name. Tia just shrugged and made an 'I don't know' sound in her throat.

Lily turned her blazing green eyes back to James.

"What about, Potter! And **_don't_** call me Lily-love!"

"She just expressed her wishes to see what happened, only from a different point of view."

"We don't need you to- Wait! How do you know what just happened!"

Remus piped in. "I told him not to, trust me!"

"Shut up, Remus!" Lily shot, and Remus, looking nonchalant, sat down on one of the seats next to Tia and both of them watched the fight eagerly. Knowing Lily and James, this fight was going to get interesting.

"Well, Sirius and I had this bet going that you girls talk about us a lot. 5 galleons. He bet you didn't, and I bet you did."

"Do you have a point here, Potter!"

"Point being, we sort of, um, kinda, put a surveillance spell on your compartment." He continued, before Lily could cut in.

"Rather dull actually, considering that Kara and Tia fell asleep instantaneously. And you got rather sappy…" he added, an amused glint in his eye.

'You did too, James, remember?' his conscience kicked in, rather tauntingly, but he pushed it away.

"YOU BUGGED US!" Lily screamed, before James shoved a hand over her mouth. She twisted and squirmed, but she couldn't squeeze free, so she did something totally desperate and impulsive…

She licked his hand.

"URGH!" he pulled his hand away, wiping it on his robes. "Evans, you are UNSANITARY!"

Tia and Kara were staring at Lily with mixed looks of amazement and elation on their faces. Sirius and Remus were rolling on the floor, barely able to breathe, they were laughing so hard.

At the same time, Lily scooted away from him, wiping her tongue on her sleeve. "Potter, you taste worse than a flobberworm! Oh, I'm never going to be able to taste anything ever again! THANKS TONS, POTTER!"

James pretended to lift a goblet. "Cheers."

"Oooh, Potter, one of these days, I'm just going to take a knife and-" Lily made slashing motions in the air. Tia gulped, and decided to interfere before Lily actually made good her threat of castrating James.

"So, James, what are you here for again?"

**A/N: There you go! And thanks to lilypad7879! You are my 1st REVIEWER! CONGRATULATIONS! Hope this is long enough for you, and please review, I love it when I get reviews! Hope you enjoy this!**

**TaMi **


	3. Laughter and Threats

**A/N: thanks tons to my reviewers! A few shout-outs to you absolutely lovely people:**

**Nick-** I do that too! Only to people I know, of course, though there still hasn't been a stranger freakish enough to want to put a hand over my mouth… did that even make sense? Anyway, bottom line, I do that too! Must be some subconscious defence mechanism… Don't you just love that word? _SUBCONSCIOUS_! Don't mind me, I'm pretty strange… Anyway, hope I see your name on a review again soon! 

**Names are pretty OVERrated-** Interesting name, though I can't say that I agree as of this point…. Anyway, don't worry, I hope this story isn't too predictable, so, wish me luck! And KEEP UP THE BEAUTIFUL REVIEWS! Please?

**Lillian- **Oooh, only second chapter and devoted already! I feel so loved! Hey, y'know what's cool? I'm from Aus. too! Anyway, I do realise that the first few chapters were rather wonky, but it'll get better, honest… And thanks for the idea, I plan on using it actually, that's brilliant! Never would have thought of that… I'll use it soon, I guess, I'm not sure, I'll see how the story plays out…. And as to how I came up with "Tamsididi", you can blame it on one of my friends, who called me that one day, totally out of the blue, or maybe not, because my real name is Tami, and anyway, it stuck, I guess… It kinda grew on me… Anyway, your review made me smile like there was no tomorrow, really…

**Ok! All that being said, do you guys want me to email you whenever I update? 'Coz I can, just tell me your email address or put me on your Author Alert list, if you have a FanFiction account…. It's as simple as that… NOW, ON TO THE STORY!**

* * *

James flicked his wand and murmured a few words. Lily couldn't discern what they were, but she couldn't help looking expectantly at the wall that now shone black, as if running an old film clip.

After a minute of two of nothing happening, Tia was bored, as well as sleepy. After all, it was only dawn. And with Tia, bored and sleepy weren't a good combination.

"I wanna see it before graduation, if you don't mind, James." She told him as sardonically as she could muster, though she had yawned right in the middle of her sentence.

"Give me a few sec-" he started to reply before Sirius butted in.

"Patience, Tia-Mia…" Sirius said, sliding to a stop next to her on the seat and resting his head on her shoulder, before she pulled away.

"Don't call me that!" She shot at him.

"Tia-Mia, Tia-Mia." He teased in a singsong voice, knowing full well that she hated that nickname, especially since he had been the one who had come up with it.

"Watch it, Whitey," Tia growled dangerously. "One day I'm just going to-" she was cut off by a "shhh" from everyone else in the compartment. The show had started.

The dark 'screen' showed Lily, sitting quietly on the seat, gazing at her friends.

* * *

"_What would I do without you girls?" she had whispered._

* * *

"Awwww… Lils, did you really say that?" Tia and Kara cooed, and the three girls shared a group hug, while the guys rolled their eyes at the sappy display of affection.

"James, mate, change the scene, will ya? This group hug is getting annoying…" Sirius whined, while Remus sat silently, trying not to smile.

"Sure, Padfoot." James complied. "Hey, ladies, good part's coming up!" he called over the girl's' heads, and they hastily slid back to their seats.

This time, the scene showed the three girls, fast asleep. After a second or two, Lily stirred, rubber her eyes, yawned, and stretched. Sirius glanced at James, who was on his left, and noticed that his friend's eyes were glazed over as he stared at the screen. Sirius looked over at Remus, who had more or less the same reaction, except he was staring at Tia, who was watching the screen as well, oblivious to Remus' stares. Sirius rolled his eyes, and gathered all his strength in his arms before elbowing both his friends in the ribs.

James and Remus swore and jumped about 3 feet in the air, rubbing their sore ribs. James' wand jerked erratically.

"HEY!" Lily, Tia, Kara complained together.

"Sorry, sorry!" James crossly apologised, and everyone stared back at the screen, Remus and James still rubbing their sore ribs.

* * *

It didn't take long before the scene in question showed, and had everyone clutching their sides in fits of laughter. Sirius kept pretending that his feelings were hurt, and kept trying to get Kara to 'kiss and make up'. Kara, of course, shoved him off.

Meanwhile, the other four (Lily, Tia, Remus, and James) watched the two tussle, amused.

* * *

James sat beside Remus, smirking as he saw Kara and Sirius practically running around the compartment, Kara throwing a random hex over her shoulder once in a while. Sirius seemed perfectly unharmed by the whole deal, and continued chasing after her anyway.

'Let's just say that she isn't the brightest light bulb in the Charms flashlight.' James thought to himself. It may be surprising that he knew about Muggle things such as light bulbs, flashlights, and whatnot, but you could blame that on Muggle Studies.

After a while, he got bored, and started to look at Lily instead. He couldn't help sighing… He just loved everything about her… the way she smiled, the way she laughed, the way her hair bounced when she ran, the way she chewed on her lower lip when she was confused, the way her eyelashes would curl upwards oh _so _slightly…

'For goodness sake, the list could stretch longer than her last Charms essay!' James thought to himself. Which is saying something, considering that her last essay had been 21 pages more than required, in miniscule text no less… He was sure that Prof. Wiffens had to use a magnifying glass to read any of it…

In another part of the compartment…

* * *

"Hey Remus," Lily called, looking around, noticing that the infamous 'Marauders' were one too short, "where's Peter?"

Remus just shrugged, and went back to his animated conversation with Tia. They seemed to be discussing stars or something of the sort… That was one of the many things they had in common, they both _adored_ Astronomy.

'It's just so sad…' Lily thought, 'they'd make such a _cute _couple… but Remus seems to be afraid of rejection… or commitment… And Tia is just… well… Tia…' she sighed, and didn't notice James do exactly the same.

* * *

After a while, the Marauders stood up to leave. Sirius had given up chasing Kara, and sat sulking in a corner. James and Lily hadn't said a word to each other, hadn't even looked at each other. And Remus and Tia? They were still in Astro-la-la-land when Sirius tugged on Remus' robes.

"Moony, mate, we're nearly there!"

Suddenly, all the girls were on alert.

"What's with those names _again_!" Tia burst out.

All three boys tensed momentarily before James shrugged. "Nicknames, gals, just nicknames." He cleared his throat. "Well, we'd best be off…"

"Unless you'd rather we change in _here_, Karamela…" Sirius added, wriggling his eyebrows suggestively at Kara.

Just then, Kara had an idea. "Actually, Sirius…" she purred, "wouldn't it be better if I did it for you?"

* * *

She nearly laughed at the looks on their faces. Lily and Tia had looks of shock on their faces, their eyes boring holes into her own; James and Remus had their eyes popping out of their heads, their mouths gaping. But Sirius was, by far, the funniest thing she had ever seen. His eyes looked like they were going to fall right out of his head, his mouth was a cavernous chasm, and he looked like Christmas came twice a week!

She pretended to be insulted by his reaction. "Why Siri, you act as if you don't want me to… "

He quickly cleared his throat, swallowed the puddle of drool ready to drip onto the floor, and managed to choke out, "Carry on." In a voice so hoarse he sounded like he had lost his voice permanently.

Kara nearly burst out laughing at this point, and it took all her self control to stop herself from laughing in Sirius' anticipating face. Instead, she grabbed hold of his robes and pulled him toward her until he sat next to her on the chair.

'This is going to be so much fun…' she thought evilly, inconspicuously sliding her wand tip into her palm.

'Thank Merlin for long sleeves!'' Smiling, she started to undo Sirius' tie with her left hand, her wand hidden in her right.

Leaning closer to him, she purred, in a voice loud enough for the silent compartment to hear. "Do you want to have kids, Siri?"

All he could manage was a shrug.

"Well, _darling_," she continued seductively, sliding a hand up his leg, before unsheathing her wand in one fluid motion and pointing it dangerously low on his stomach, her voice changing to a spiteful growl, "If I were you, I wouldn't try to kiss me again, or you might not have anything to make kids with! Get ME!"

* * *

Sirius whimpered his reply, and Lily, James, Tia, Kara, and Remus cracked up laughing. Sirius, after sulking in a corner until his fear was gone, joined in as well. It would be entirely truthful to say that no one got a decent breath for at least half an hour after that. And in the future, whenever things were at their worst, the gang could always look at this moment and have a quiet chuckle.

About an hour later, James looked at his watch.

"Guys, we really have to go… Train's stopping in a sec."

The boys nodded their agreement and took their leave.

"Bye!" the girls called after them.

As soon as the door closed behind them, the girls jumped on Kara.

* * *

"Gosh, Kara-banana!" Lily said, engulfing her friend in a hug. "Never knew you had such evil in you!"

"Yeah! Who are you and what have you done with the real Kara!" Tia demanded jokingly.

"I know, hey…" Kara considered. "It's just that, whenever I'm with Black, I feel like, I don't know, I feel like doing something crazy and stupid and totally random…"

"Ooooh… Lily, care to voice my thoughts?" Tia asked.

They looked at each other then at Kara. And started singing.

"KARA'S IN LO-OVE! KARA'S IN LO-OVE!" they danced around her, singing that annoying little singsong.

"Shut it girls, please? Or else someone's going to find out about that time in my house where you girls were in your undies and my elder brother walked into the ro-" Lily's hand had flown over Kara's mouth and her face had grown red to match her hair. Tia shut her friend up with another hand and a slap on the shoulder.

"Shut up, Kara!"

And together, the three friends got off the train, gave each other one last hug, promised to owl each other, and split up, Lily going through the barrier, and Tia and Kara waiting for their parents on the platform.

**

* * *

A/N: there ya go! Another chapter… personally, I like this one the best… Do you? Leave me a review and tell me what you think! Thanks! Latahz!**

**TaMi **


	4. Pain and Stony Eyes

A/N: Now, I'm sure many of you are complaining about how long it took me to update, and I'm going to explain: the computer crashed, and the internet was down… well, not really… it's like whenever you'd go on the Net, it'd just close the window again and again, so you didn't get anywhere… I swear on my life, I tried! And to make matters worse, we found out that it was a virus, so dad sent the comp of to be fixed WITHOUT TELLING ME! and when I finally got it back 3 March, the drives were totally WIPED so I had to type this all over again, along with a project or two… which happened to be due within a few days… Bugger… I'm annoyed all over again now… So anyway! And that's the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth!

Now, thanks to my absolutely LOVABLE reviewers, love you guys! You deserve a shout-out, and a billion cookies each! Oh, and this is in alphabetical order, so it isn't going to be hard to look for your name… Cheers!

**.+.Reviewer.+.-** glad you like it!

**fish30-** like it, ey? Glad to hear that! Like the name, too… where'd you get that?

**Lovergirl-** glad you think it's cute! Hope to see your name on a review again soon!

**names are OVERrated-** I think I know what's up… I live in Australia, and as such, there are differences in the spelling of several words… and the plot of the story is now here! Yey! Comments?

**SemmaFan-** I'm so happy you like it! You have no idea how happy you've made me!

**ShadowMoony-** hope to hear from you soon!

* * *

It was a lovely 31st-of-August day. James, Sirius, and Remus strolled down Diagon Alley, revelling in their last day of freedom before school started once more. Peter had declined to come, because he had "piano lessons". James and Sirius were slightly surprised, and suspicious. After all, no one ever said anything about piano lessons before. But then, they brushed it off. A guy didn't really publicise piano lessons, not if he had even the slightest of reputations to consider. Not that Peter had a personal rep to consider, but then, James reasoned, if one Marauder is found to be doing something girly, like taking piano lessons or crying in a toilet for hours on end still Peter, then the entire group's well-built reputation swept into the drain.

After restocking their pranking supplies, they strolled up and down leisurely, Florean Fortescue's delicious sundaes in their hands. They had already memorized each and every item, price, and position in Quality Quidditch Supplies, and truth be told, they were getting bored… If only something interesting would happen…

Then as they passed the bookstore, they heard a very familiar laugh, followed by a _very _familiar voice.

"Oh no! Quick, Kara, back inside!" came the groan of a certain red-head from the door of the nearby bookshop.

* * *

James and Sirius stopped in their tracks, smiling identically devilish grins. Remus, noticing this, groaned and tried his best to walk on, before being pulled roughly backwards by the collar into the silence of the bookshop.

The trio stepped inside, Remus too, albeit reluctantly, just in time to see red curls dart behind a bookshelf in the dark far end of the library.

The other two let him go, and with a muffled _thud_ he landed hard on the ground. After swearing softly under his breath, and having to endure their sniggers, he walked over to the "Magical Flora and Fauna" section, leaving them alone. They stood there for a millisecond, taking in his desertion, and shrugged it off, going their own way to sneak up on Lily, wands at the ready, a few dozen spells on their tongues as well.

They were not worried about Tia being anywhere around Lily. She, being Lily's self-appointed bodyguard and beater on the Gryffindor team, was a deadly person to mess with… Not that Lily couldn't stick up for herself, but when they were together against you, well… Start digging your grave. Anyway, Tia was in the Maldives with her muggle Puerto Rican mom, while her dad stayed behind due to work pressures in the Ministry.

Together, they sneaked up behind Lily…

* * *

Remus walked into "Magical Flora and Fauna" and immediately, his blood seemed to freeze. There stood Kara, a thick, hard-bound book held in her hands, and a knowing, pitying look on her face.

"Remus…" she said softly, putting the heavy book back on the shelf. "May I talk to you?"

* * *

Remus blanched, knowing what was coming. She'd scream, cry, announce his lycanthropy to the entire world, and back away when he tried to explain. Indeed, tears were already starting to pool in her eyes, and her hand had flown to her mouth, as if to stifle a scream.

"Look, Kara, II can expGive me a chance, IYou don't" he stuttered, starting to back away.

But to his surprise and shock, she started to walk _towards_ him, instead of away from him, engulfing him in one of her friendly, comforting hugs.

"You're not the only one, Rem." She whispered in his ear, before pulling away, the tears starting to flow freely.

"Butyoulycanyou too!" he choked out, barely able to hope. He wasn't happy that she had to go through the same thing that he did, heck, he wouldn't wish his lycanthropy on Voldemort, but it comforted him that there was someone who actually understood the full implication of his torture.

She shook her head slowly and his spirits sank like an anchor into the Atlantic Ocean. Then she chuckled, an empty, hollow chuckle that made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end.

"D'ya think that only lycans go through that? Oh, no, Rem, you are so wrong…"

* * *

"But what" then it hit him. "You're a _Sampanthera_!"

She nodded slowly, and he flinched. Sampantheras were really rare, the result of being bitten by a Lynxanta, a cross between a wolf and a cobra. But Lynxantas were extinct… so how could it be?

* * *

Then Remus remembered third year. While doing research on Hinky Punks for DADA, his book had fallen open on page on 'Werewolves, Sampantheras, Animagi, and other Transformations' and only a few lines had been burned into his memory, some of which he quoted to Kara in a daze.

"Lynxanta toxins have only one effect. It causes a person to transform into a Sampanthera, a silky black wild cat with deadly claws and a killing toxin of its own. The effects of the Lynxanta toxin don't emerge immediately, however, but emerge only after 3 or 4 _generations_. That means you can only be a Sampanthera if one of your grand- or great grandparents, at the very least, was bitten by a Lynxanta. Transforming, though, is said to cause four times as much pain as werewolf transformations, and causes one to revert to animal mentalities, and instincts, and once transformed, one has no memory of friends, family, or subsequent events. 98 percent of Sampantheras are women. For similar text, see _WEREWOLVES_."

Once again, all Kara did was nod, tears flowing freely. This time, it was Remus' turn to take her into a hug.

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone…" he said soothingly, all his problems about himself forgotten. "Do Lily and Tia know?"

Kara nodded into his shoulder; he was about a head taller than she was. "Please don't tell…"

* * *

Just then, Sirius laughingly came around the bookshelf, James in tow. They were both laughing and stopped upon seeing Kara on Remus' shoulder, Sirius' face became a cold hard mask of calm, though James and Remus knew that he was absolutely livid inside.

Kara noticed that they were there, and hastily wiped her face on a handkerchief Sirius offered, and with a barely audible "_Thanks_…" she dashed out the door to look for Lily, her hand still clutching the handkerchief.

* * *

They watched her leave, and then Sirius turned to Remus with a murderous look in his piercing grey eyes.

"Remus Lupin, we have to talk."

And though they were the same height, Remus shrank away. He knew what that name meant. Among themselves, Marauders only called each other by their first names when they were about to kill the other person. And Sirius had used his full name…

* * *

A/N: oh, short, I'm so sorry! I'm begging you, forgive me! Pleeeeeaaase! I'm begging you, I'll do anything within reason!

So, anyway, what did you think of this chapter? Personally, I like it… do you?

Tell me please! I wanna know!

Oh well, c ya!

TaMi


	5. Confrontation and Apprehension

A/N: OMG, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! You have no idea how happy you've made me! To my beloved reviewers

**Aelotia**- Love the name! What's that from? Hope you like the Sirius-Remus confrontation!

**Diddlinalover**- Interesting name… and don't worry, here's an update! Hope the wait wasn't too long…

**Irish Lady Knight**- Hope to hear from you soon!

**Mello80**- Thanks for R and R-ing my story as well… I'm glad you like it… Here's the next chapter!

**MissCheviousHP**- Your reviews were the best by far! No offence, other people They had me laughing so hard, maybe as hard as you were laughing at Lily's threat. Go right ahead and use the idea, it makes me feel so flattered, because I am but a lowly author, who has less that 5 dollars to her name as of today… I'm poor! Sigh… I'm rambling as well… And to answer your question about Sampantheras, I thought them up, all out of my little coconut… taps head, sounds hollow…hahahahha you don't think that they're too far-fetched, do you? Gosh, I hope not! Do tell!

**Nick**- Here's another update for you!

**Snowgremlin**- to clarify, Remus likes **Tia** and Sirius likes **Kara**. I guess I don't need to tell you who James likes, hey?

**Sparkles3**- Thanks for that little nibble of info… I never noticed that… from now on, I'll try to type as Aussie-ish as possible… :-)

Anyway, thanks for your reviews! They really brightened up my day! They made me laugh, cry out of laughter, giggle, snort, and prance around like I had lost each and every single one of my marbles… Overall, acting like a lunatic! Or more of a lunatic than usual, anyway… I was dancing as well, and my mum thought I was mental… you should have seen the look on her face!

**Now, onto the story!**

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"Remus Lupin, we need to talk."

Remus flinched slightly. Normally, he would have stood his ground, but he had never seen Sirius that mad.

"Look, Padfoot, nothing happened."

"Of course 'nothing happened', _Lupin_." Sirius spat the name out like venom, and both James and Remus cringed.

'This is getting worse every second' James noted, and tried to intervene.

"Look, Padfoot, this may be a big misunders-" James cut in, trying to make peace between his sparring friends.

Sirius rounded on him with a snarl. "Shut up, Prongs! Let the man explain himself."

Remus straightened himself.

"This is honestly ridiculous. She just had a problem with being a- " too late, he cut off, flushing right to the ears, mentally cursing his little slip of the tongue.

"Being a what!" Sirius growled lethally.

"A girl." Remus muttered lamely, for lack of a better excuse.

"I knew it." Sirius declared quietly, and Remus looked up from his shoes, a smile on his face, thinking Sirius had seen the light. That smile was slashed off his face when Sirius continued.

"You always have been a bad liar, Remus…" he continued in the same deathly-quiet voice. "I trusted you! You know how I feel about Kara! And now this…" he shook his head, feeling betrayal rip through his heart. "I'll be at home, Prongs." He added as an after-note to James, who was too stunned to speak.

And with that, he disapparated out of the bookstore and into his room in the Potter mansion.

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Remus sighed.

"See you tomorrow, Prongs…" he murmured dejectedly, before disapparating.

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After Remus disapparated, James ran his hand through his already-messy hair, sighing exasperatedly, before leaving the musty bookstore to get a butterbeer.

Little did he know that Kara, hiding behind the shelves, had heard the whole thing…

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Kara found Lily sitting on a rock near the forest entrance, staring into the distance.

Lily heard her approaching and turned around.

"Kara, what's wrong?" she asked fearfully, gathering her friend in a hug.

Kara just shook her head, trying, and failing, to stop the tears that were winding their way down her cheek. Sirius' handkerchief was now wet and soggy, but that didn't stop her, she continued using it anyway.

"Kara, tell me… please?" Lily pleaded, her heart going out to her sobbing companion.

"Remus- Remus knows…" she managed to choke out, before fresh sobs coursed down her cheeks.

"It's alright, Kara… Remus won't tell… I swear my life on it."

"That's not- that's not all!" Kara wailed, her words coming out in a jumble.

All Lily could make out was "Sirius- mad at Remus- never going to talk again- all because of me!"

"What was that, Kara? Look, why don't you dry those tears, and tell me in pure, simple English what's wrong… I don't speak Kara-lish, you know…"

That caused a smile, and Kara managed to sop up the last tears with Sirius' now-sodden handkerchief.

"After I rushed out of the store, I realized that I still had this." She said, gesturing to the drenched handkerchief in her hand. "So I went back in to give it back to Sirius, and I heard them arguing. Sirius was mad at Remus for not telling him why I was crying, and Remus had to lie to cover it up, and-" a fresh flood of tears emerged, as Lily waited patiently for the rest of the story, patting Kara's back in a soothing motion, before offering her own handkerchief, which Kara turned down, saying she already had Sirius'.

"And then…" Lily coaxed.

"And then," Kara continued with a slight hiccup, "Sirius got really mad and everything, and he just disapparated. Remus did too, but he looked ready to cry. And it wasn't even his fault! It's going to be my fault if they never speak to each other again! It's all because of me!"

Lily knew why this was tearing Kara apart. Kara had come from an abusive family. Her father was a drunk, and took to beating her mother nearly every night, often right in front of her. When she was 5, her mom had had enough, and divorced her dad. He took to beating Kara instead, and it was a year before anyone spoke up, and Kara was put into a foster home. She was adopted at the age of 7 by a wizard family, but her traumatic childhood lay ingrained into her memory. As a result, Kara was forever scared of putting someone through the pain and misery she had to go though.

Kara knew how to appreciate a solid friendship, such as the Marauders', and it just ripped her to shreds to think that she might be the cause of its' downfall.

Her pained tears ripped through Lily's heart, and it just killed her that there was nothing she could do.

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James Potter, after paying for his butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks, walked quickly to the outskirts of Hogsmeade.

Though he was sure that no one was watching him, he walked into the forest cover, and a brilliant white stag emerged in his place. He found, that in his Animagi form, it was easier to think, because he didn't have such a myriad of emotions battering him.

Walking around, trying to clear his head, he came upon the two girls, and was about to listen in, when…

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A loud explosion ripped through Hogsmeade, and the girls ran quickly, wands drawn, toward the sound. James, after changing back into Prongs, ran after them, his shoes slipping on the cold ground. As he neared the village, he saw smoke rise to the sky, as well as something he couldn't quite make out.

Then it hit him, and his blood froze as he watched the Dark Mark blaze ominously in the twilight sky.

Only one thought lay hardened into his mind.

"Oh Merlin! Lily!" he gasped, rushing toward the place he had seen Lily last, and hoping he wasn't too late.

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**A/N: CLIFFIE! Of sorts anyway… So… how'd you find this chapter? The continuation is coming up soon, after about 8-10 reviews… wink wink, nudge nudge… It's not much y'know… have some pity and review… Hope to hear from you soon!**


	6. Curses and Pain

**Five reviews! Oh, come on people, I know you can do better than that! **

**First thing on the agenda today:**

**I owe my apologies to REALITY CHECK BOUNCED. I'm really sorry that you weren't included in the last shout-out, and I hope you will forgive me for that little mistake… I'm really really sorry… (Grovels pitifully) please forgive me!**

**Anyway, thanks to the people who DID review… have a chocolate-chip cookie! (:)(:)(:)(:)(:)(:)**

**Stella Blu-** Do you mean horrible ending as in it was written badly? Or horrible ending because it was a cliffhanger? Glad you like it, though… Thanks! Hope you enjoy this chapter! I'll try hard to make it a not-cliffhanger one… ;-)

**Snowgremlin-** ok… this is going to be longer and (I hope) not a cliffhanger! YEY for me! Thanks for the review! Anyway, here's the new chapter, and I really hope you like this one… ;-)

**MissCheviousHP-** I LOVED your review! Nice and long! Gosh! Pretty soon, I'm going to need to hand out more than just chocolate-chip cookies, hey? ;-) Anyway. I'm really happy that you find me funny… To tell the truth, I wasn't sure in the beginning whether or not to make 'Humor' a genre, because I was afraid that no one would find it funny, then they'd send me heaps of flames yelling "die, you useless, pathetic excuse of an author!"… Maybe you can tell, but I have a self-esteem problem… sometimes it's too high, and sometimes it's WAY too low… But, hey, I guess you can tell what your reviews do to my ego! ;) How DO you find enough time to write down such long reviews! It's just amazing… you've got to be the longest review-writer in this ENTIRE site! Or maybe even the NET! Congratulations! I can't wait for a next review! And an update of your story wouldn't be all that horrible either! ;-)

Have a chocolate-chip cookie… or ten… (:)(:)(:)(:)(:)(:)(:)(:)(:)(:)

Hahahahha… ;-) Enjoy the story!

**BackstabberEm-** I'm glad that you like the story, 'coz trust me, I like yours just as much! Here's the update (finally…) Enjoy!

**Diddlinalover-** hope you haven't exploded… too much… anyway, here's the update! Hope you enjoy it!

**Have fun reading guys! Hope you have as much fun as I did writing it!**

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'Lily!' James looked around frantically, finally spotting Lily crouched behind a store. He ran toward her.

"James, what are you doing here!" Lily hissed at him as a spell flew a few feet away from his head.

"Lily, get out of here! Now! Apparate or something!"

"NO! I'm staying to fight, and nothing you can do or say would stop me!"

James cursed silently. Why now, of all times, did she choose to be stubborn?

"Where's Kara?"

"She's gone to get Dumbledore and the other Order members."

"Look. Wait here. Dumbledore's coming. Just STAY HERE!"

Lily stood up, and crossed her arms.

"Shut up, Potter, we're losing precious fighting time!"

She started to march off, when James grabbed her wrist.

"Let me go!"

"Just like that!" he scoffed. "Lily, these are DEATH EATERS we're dealing with. Don't you think, for one second, that one or more of them, Slytherins most likely, would recognise you? There **are** Death Eaters at Hogwarts, you know."

She glared at him, and started to walk into the fray once more. He groaned exasperatedly, and grabbed her, pinning her gently against the wall.

"This'll only take a second, Evans!" he muttered, pulling out his wand and muttering a complex spell. Lily's appearance changed drastically; her long wavy red hair became a shoulder-length black ponytail; her sparkling emerald eyes turned sapphire blue. Her once-heart-shaped face grew round, and her voice grew coquettish and a tad naughty. She also seemed to have grown taller a bit.

James released her, and she started to run out into the skirmish. Then she turned around, looking James in the eye.

"Not bad!" she called. "Thanks, James!"

Then she disappeared into the crowd of spells and people. As James ran into the crowd, pops were heard all around. The cavalry was coming.

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Lily was fighting Death Eaters right and left, and it seemed that whenever she'd take out the last one, another batch seemed to appear.

'How many are there!' she thought, Stunning a Death Eater and ignoring the many jeering cat-calls and suggestive innuendoes from the enemy.

"Hello, beautiful…" came a voice from a nearby hooded Death Eater. She couldn't see much of his face at all, except for his jaw line. It was pudgy-looking and Lily felt disgust rip thru her.

"How about you and I ditch this place and do something better, huh?" His voice was vaguely familiar to Lily, but she couldn't place it.

"How about" she growled in return "you shrivel up and die! No? Fine then!" she hurled a powerful curse at him, and she saw that it cut his jaw, causing a deep gash and heavy bleeding.

In reply, he threw the Killing Curse at her, but she dodged it, and Stunned him. He fell, face-down, with a _thud_. She then hurried on, stunning and freezing the hundreds of hooded Death Eaters that seemed to fall out of the sky.

Meanwhile…

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James dodged the many curses heading his way, firing back a few himself. Then, without warning, he saw a blinding white light gleaming near his shoulder and he ducked, the spell inevitably hitting him in the arm. It only grazed him, yet the cut was deep and blood seeped out of it. He spun around, wand clenched tight, trying to ignore the pain searing from the cut on his left arm.

"You." He growled, hatred surging through his veins at the sight of the crimson slits of eyes, and the pale, sallow face.

"Yes, me." Voldemort replied coolly, his voice a chilling hiss. His satisfied tone and expression made James' blood run cold.

"Late, Voldy?" James taunted, he and Voldemort circling each other, testing the other's strength. "Not very good for a leader to be late, is it? Or maybe…" he continued, a smirk appearing on his face. "Maybe our little Voldy was too chicken to fight for himself, huh? Was our poor little Voldy scared?"

Voldemort, already seething from the taunts and the baby-talk, cracked.

"_Avada Kedavra!_" he yelled, though the spell missed James, whose excellent Seeker skills enabled him to roll out of the way to avoid the spell, which hit a Death Eater in the back.

"Is that all, Potter?" Voldemort taunted back. "Dropping and rolling? What a _muggle_ tactic…"

"_Stupefy_! _Impedimenta_!" James responded, throwing back curses of his own, which Voldemort coolly side-stepped.

"_Crucio_!"

"_Petrificus Totalus_!"

"_Imperio_!"

"_Tarantalegra_!" James yelled, finally catching Voldemort in the leg. "_Exparenda_!" he added, as Voldemort started to writhe around due to the Jelly-Leg Curse, which James had strengthened to include a loss-of-breath charm the Marauders had come up with.

"_Videlaro_!" James smirked, recording Voldemort's writhing and twisting for future reference.

"This isn't over, Potter." Voldemort said, apparently gasping for breath. "I'll be seeing you again soon…"

And with that, he and the living contingent of his followers Disapparated as abruptly as they arrived.

James spun around to see Dumbledore appear a few feet away.

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When the Death Eater that she was dueling Disapparated, Lily looked around in surprise, only to find that all the living or Stunned Death Eaters had disappeared, leaving only a few hooded corpses, killed by friendly fire gone awry.

As she tapped herself on the head with her wand to revert to her true appearance, Lily saw Dumbledore striding towards her, the end of his long beard singed and uneven.

"Sir." She greeted him, a feeling of apprehension sweeping through her, and her head starting to spin and pound, though she attributed that to the after-shock of the attack.

"Miss Evans." He nodded, yet his eyes had lost their merry twinkle, and he looked old, maybe older than he really was.

"Please note that the start of term is put off until the 3rd. There has been an attack on the train as well as here in Diagon Alley."

Lily gasped.

"Were there any casualties, sir?" She asked, fearful for the answer.

"Not to my knowledge, but I'm afraid that the outcome might not be as satisfactory as one might hope." Lily nodded, and Dumbledore made to move away, before turning and speaking to Lily once more.

"By the way, Miss Evans, my congratulations on making Head Girl."

"Thank you, Headmaster." She answered, watching Dumbledore walk away.

All around her, there were people getting up or being revived, being magicked onto stretchers or Dispparating, bringing her attention to her own injuries. She had cuts on her face and arms, and her clothes were torn and dirty. She also had skinned her shoulder on a large crate that she had dived behind during the fight.

Her worst injury though, was on her leg, where a barely-avoided Killing Curse had grazed it, leaving a deep, flowing gash, the pain of which, in the adrenalin rush that accompanied the attack and the surprise of seeing Dumbledore, had gone unnoticed and was starting to set in. Lily hobbled slowly toward the nearest store-front and leaned against the door, pain quickly overtaking her and the floor spinning. She started to see black smudges in her vision and as her wand dropped unnoticed from her shaking fingertips, she knew that she was going to pass out.

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After speaking to Dumbledore, James cast healing charms on as many of his injuries as he could. There weren't many, and they were all minor ones.

He then helped revive a few of the less-affected Aurors, before starting to look for Lily.

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As he neared the bookstore, he noticed Lily sinking against the wall of 'Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions'. He saw her wand slip from her fingers and the blood soaking through the right leg of her jeans.

"Lily!" he ran toward her as fast as he could, catching her just as she blacked out.

Gathering her in his arms, James wiped a small trickle of blood from a cut on her cheek, Apparating to St. Mungo's.

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**A/N: Longest chapter so far! And technically, this isn't a cliffhanger, because I didn't leave anyone hanging… right?... ok, so that's debatable, but at least we both know what happens to them… hope you don't hate me that much…**

**Also, the reason for Lily's passing out was a mix of nerves, blood loss, and the effects of the _Avada Kedavra_ curse… hey, at least she didn't die…**

**So now, here's the time to tell me what you think… and please care enough to leave me a review! That's what fuels my writing… ;)**

**So, review please! **

**Oh, and does anyone know how to spell "Cruciatius"? or is it "Cruciatus"? I'm really sorry, I don't have copies or books 2, 4, and 5. I had to borrow them off people to read… so I'm not sure how to spell the names of the Illegal curses… could you tell me? **

**Thanks guys! Have a nice day! HAPPY EASTER!**

**TaMi**


	7. Emotions and Actions

**A/N: I guess people are confused by the way James was able to hex Voldemort and make fun of him and stuff in the last chapter, but remember that Voldemort wasn't always the master villain person that he is in Harry's time. He had to be susceptible to simple hexes in the beginning, because no one is perfect from the start. That a good enough explanation for you guys? Thanks to those who reviewed, by the way, you really made me feel so good!**

**Snowgremlin-** I'm sorry it took so long… life got in the way… trust me… my house is a mess right now… thanks to my brother… but that's a story you wouldn't want to hear… anyway, thanks for reviewing! Hope you didn't sulk too much!

**Diddlinalover-** I'm so glad you liked it! I was afraid that it would be 'controversial' in a way, because of the way James got to call Voldemort names and manage to hex him and stuff, but no flames have arrived… yet… so I'm feeling more or less alright… thanks for reviewing!

**Stella Blu-** Sorry, did you consider that a cliffhanger? I didn't… I'm sorry if you did… As for your question about James and Voldemort, please read the explanation at the start of this Author's Note. Thanks for taking the time to tell me what you think!

**MissCheviousHP- **Seriously, if every reviewer were like you, I could find enough motivation to write after only ONE review! To tell the truth, I was rather disappointed a few days after I posted chapter 6, because I am ABSOLUTELY addicted to reviews, yours especially, and since you hadn't reviewed, well, I just felt bad… I thought that I let people down with that chapter, and that I really should give up writing… Honestly, that's how much your reviews mean to me… I love them as much as you love this story! And thanks for the info on the curses… It's going to help a lot! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

**Now, like I said to Snowgremlin, I'm sorry it took so long, but my life, and my siblings, got in the way… But that I'm on holidays, I just might have more time to update… depending on how much writing fuel (a.k.a reviews) I receive… Thanks! ;-)**

**To the STORY!**

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James sat alone by Lily's bedside, holding her fragile hand in his. He cursed himself for ever letting her into this situation in the first place. True, without his help, she would have been much worse, maybe even dead, but if he hadn't gone soft and let her fight, she wouldn't even be here. She would have been with her friends, where she belonged. Trying, as he knew she would, to enjoy the last 'Potter-free' days of her holiday.

He sighed, running his hand through his hair in frustration. What was up with her? Why couldn't she see that all he wanted was her attention? He was like an asthmatic kid who wanted a puppy. He wanted something that he could never get. Even he knew that, but that didn't stop him from trying. Trying once and again to bring a smile to that divine face, a laugh to those heart-stopping eyes. He would do ANYTHING to win her heart, and didn't care whether all of Hogwarts found out. He would fly if she told him to, and would die before anything could touch her.

'But why the sudden rush of feeling?' he asked himself, gently caressing her soft pale cheek.

Then it hit him like a bludger to the stomach: he, James Potter, LOVED Lily Evans, and, for once, he threw reputation and arrogance into the winds. After four long years of harmlessly crushing on her, stalking her, and making her every day 'memorable', as he liked to put it, it finally emerged. He LOVED her, and there was nothing anyone could do to stop it.

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After the attack, James had contacted both Sirius and Remus, and 'asked, rather forcefully', that they take shifts watching Lily in St. Mungo's. James took the first, though he was only supposed to stay till 11, he stayed overnight. Sirius was next, from 8 am til 12 noon.

Sirius crept into the hospital room, a bunch of flowers in his hand. Reaching the bed, he put the flowers on the side table, amidst other get-well-soon cards, balloons, and treats, grinning widely at what he saw. James lay fast asleep and drooling, his head on the mattress. Sirius then proceeded to poke him awake.

"Prongs." He shook James' shoulder. No response, as James drooled on.

"Prongsie!" A little louder, to no avail.

"PRONGS!" Sirius finally whisper-screamed in James' ear, and James shot up like a rocket.

"Wha?" he asked, looking around sleepily, before polishing his glasses and looking at his best friend properly. "Oh, hello Padfoot. What time is it?"

"How long have you been here, mate?" Sirius asked, ignoring James' inquiry. "You look like you did back in fourth year when Evans tricked you into studying for that Charms exam. You know how I said that you could never look worse?" James nodded. "Well, I stand corrected."

Both teens laughed quietly, careful not to wake the room's 2 other occupants.

"Pull up a seat, Padfoot." James said, offering his own to Sirius. "I'm just going to get some coffee…".

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Sirius watched James go, an 'isn't he hopeless' look on his face. Looking down at Lily, he could see why James liked her, or at least, he couldn't see a reason _not_ to like her… She was pretty, had good skin, nice taste in clothing (personally, a little too covered for his taste, but to each his own). Suddenly, he heard the door open and turned around. Kara stood there looking bashful, a complete array of flowers, chocolates, and card jutting out from her overloaded arms.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't know that someone was here." she said, turning to leave, the clutter in her arms tottering perilously. Sirius jumped up, and took a considerable amount from her, helping her put it on and around the bedside table.

"Thanks." She said, pulling up a chair and sitting opposite him, on Lily's other side. He noticed that she was nervously wringing something in her hands. It was his handkerchief. It was washed, and it looked clean…

She noticed his eyes. "Oh, here… thanks…" he nodded, taking his now-clean, DRY hanky back, unusually shy.

"Sirius-" she started, then looked away blushing, as he looked up at her. "Sorry. It isn't my business."

He could see that she wanted to say something, and felt uncharacteristically sympathetic. He never felt this way with a girl before. Shy, nervous, caring! Those were not words Sirius Black often associated with his dealings with girls.

"Go ahead." He prompted, though not unkindly, and not jokingly, as Kara thought he would.

She took a deep breath, and spoke all at once. "Look, I'm really sorry that you fought with Remus about me and I wanted to say that it wasn't his fault, it wasn't his secret to tell, I swear- he promised me he wouldn't tell, and I just wanted you to know that it wasn't his fault, and I'm not something worth arguing about, and Remus, I guessed it, and it was only fair that I kept his secret the way he kept mine-" she cut off to breathe. He was shocked, confused, and hurt, the memory of yesterday was still sore in his heart. How did she know?

"How did y-"

"I was behind the bookshelf."

"So, you and Moony aren't together or anything?" he asked, barely able to breathe.

"No." she shook her head. "I like him as a friend, and nothing more, just as he likes me."

Sirius reached out to her, his handy hanky wiping away some stray tears that had wound their way down as she spoke.

"Please don't hold it against him, Sirius…" she begged. "It isn't his fault…"

Just then, a low alarm went off in the little handbag Kara carried. She wiped her cheeks, blushing, and excused herself. "It's Tia, I've got to pick her up… She- she took a muggle plane from the Maldives."

Standing, Kara shook his hand, then, after a moment of hesitation, pulled him into a hug.

"Please, Sirius?" she begged, tears threatening to flow once more. Then she let go and walked quickly out the door.

Sirius just sat there, rather stunned.

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A few minutes later, James came walking into the room, coffee cup in hand.

"What's wrong, Padfoot?" he asked, seeing his friend sitting there like a stone, a far-away look on his face that James had never seen before.

"Padfoot?"

"Prongs, I've just been held by an angel…" was all he could reply.

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Sirius looked at his watch. His shift would be over soon. His stomach growled and he grinned. He was never _not_ hungry, so this could wait.

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Remus Lupin stood just outside the doorway, arguing with himself. He didn't know whether to enter or to chicken out.

"Remus John Lupin, get in there or hand your official resignation to the Marauders this afternoon!"

Taking a deep breath, Remus pushed the door open to find the room filled with sunlight, flowers, and cards.

He did not see Sirius sitting in chair, obscured by the hanging curtains.

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It was only as he was putting his bunch of flowers next to the bed, that he saw Sirius, and paled considerably.

"Padfoot" he managed. "We need to talk."

He was surprised as Sirius nodded.

"Pull up a seat, Remus."

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**A/N: Oooh, hate me, love me, no difference… Please review!**


	8. Friends and Plots

**A/N: AN UPDATE ALREADY! GASP! Hahahahha… anyway, thanks to all the beautiful, kind people who reviewed! My heart sings when you do! ("My heart sings?" Where did that come from! I must be losing the few drops of sanity that I have left!)**

**Hahahahha… Anyway, to the reviewers!**

**Snowgremlin-** I really am evil, aren't i? lol… thanks for putting up with that… hope you enjoy the story!

**MissCheviousHP-** another absolutely BEE-YOO-TIFUL review! Really… there should be a Nobel prize or something for reviewers like yourself! Now, I'm really glad you like this story, and I'm proud to say that I love yours to bits… thanks, again, for taking all that time to write little old me a review! Hope this chapter helps… there isn't a book attached, unfortunately… hahahha… enjoy!

TO the STORY, people!

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Remus sat down on the Summoned chair and took a deep breath.

"Padfoot, you have to understand-"

Sirius cut him off. "Moony, Kara told me about it."

"How'd she kno-?"

"Hiding behind the shelves, at least that's what she said. But that's not important. She told me that it wasn't your fault. And I'm sorry for not believing you, because now I do."

"But Padfoot! I swear, on my mother's grave, I'm telling the tr--" Remus broke in, and then froze. "Wait, say that again, please?"

"I'm - sorry - for not - believing - you, because - now - I - do." Sirius reiterated slooowly, like he was speaking to a mentally-disabled person. Remus let out the breath that he didn't know he had been holding, and smiled cheerfully. "And besides, idiot," Sirius added "your mother isn't dead!"

Remus smacked him on the head. "Look who's the idiot, idiot." He said. "But truthfully, I'm glad you've come to your senses, mate." He shook the proffered hand. "So, what did she have that got you to believe her and not me?"

Sirius just looked at him, an 'are you sober, mate?' smirk on his face. "Do I have to answer that?"

"I didn't mean it that way, moron!" Remus said, colouring slightly and mumbling under his breath, reaching over to smack Sirius on the head.

**8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8**

Just then, there was a knock on the door, and Lily's best friends, Kara and Tia, walked in. Both boys stood to greet them, offering the chairs that they had been sitting on.

"Thanks…" Kara said, evidently shy, handing a warm paper bag each to Remus and Sirius. "We got you lunch… we reckoned you'd be here longer than we would, and besides, hospital food isn't that good…". Beside her, Tia stuck out her tongue to emphasize her point.

Sirius laughed. "You got that right!"

"How sweet…" Tia cooed, sitting herself down in what was Remus' chair. "See!" she told Kara, as both boys Summoned over seats for themselves by Lily's bed. "I told you that the Marauders had some respect for women."

"Marauder code." Both boys broke in at the same time, arranging their chairs into a proper circle.

"Oh really? Well, try convincing Lily… about James, or the fact that he actually CARES about her… sheesh… A rock would own up faster."

"So true, so true…" Remus piped in.

"James and Lily are just anomalies. Oh, so sorry Sirius… Words too big for you?" Tia teased, and the other two laughed, as Sirius slouched and pretended to sulk.

"Hey, d'you remember 5th year? When James threatened to undress Snivvellous after O.W.L.s?" he burst out, after a while, tired of all the laughing glances they were shooting at him.

"Oh, yeah. Lily had a spazz attack!"

The group laughed, and the memories began.

**8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8**

Later that afternoon, four teenagers sat around a hospital bed, talking and laughing in whispers.

"Do you remember that time in 3rd year that Lily caught James trying to hide some Filibuster fireworks under her pillow?" Sirius asked Remus, as Tia and Kara nodded.

"Yup." Remus nodded, a grin on his face. "After that time, James didn't even TRY to get into the Girls' Dorms for 2 whole months! That was his record, I believe."

"uh-hmmm… it was, actually…" Tia added, then blushed as Remus looked at her. It was momentary, but not totally unnoticed…

**8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8**

Sirius and Kara sat in shock. What was this?

Tia was the 'tease-queen' of Lily's group, yet she seemed different from the Tia who was sitting with them. Tia blushing! That was a rare sight! And over Remus no less… Who would have guessed! She usually (and rather audaciously) led guys on for about a week, then _bam_! Dropped 'em like anvils, she did. Many a heart-broken soul had been heard _weeping_ in the boy's toilets over Tia's actions. She was rather like a Marauder, and actually, she _was_ an honorary one.

Sirius, personally, couldn't see what all the fuss was about. True, he had gone out with her in 4th year, but that had been on a dare… surprisingly, she had agreed due to the same pressure. But what was there in her that made Remus all smiling and happy if she so much as looked at him? She was sporty (she played beater alongside him on the Gryffindor team), energetic, smart… and attractive, he could see that, though personally, he favored the leggy-blonde-Hufflepuff-girl type. So much more pashing, and soooo much less brains.

Sirius sighed happily, lost in his day-dreams about some Hufflepuff girl whose name he couldn't even remember, his face showing no recognition of the conversation…

**8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8**

Beside Tia, Kara couldn't help but wonder similarly. Remus… ok, he was attractive… in a pale, shy way… smart, but not overly… quite friendly… but in all honesty, Kara thought of him as a friend and nothing more… at all… but Tia… 'Ice-Queen Tia'… liked _Remus Lupin_! This wasn't your ordinary match… But then, neither was that of Lily and James, and, come to think of it, both pairs fit each other like a jig-saw… like… like, peaches and cream… like ice cream and chocolate syrup… like pancakes and butter… like… French fries and ketchup…

Her mind continued to puzzle over that, and she took on the zoned-out look of someone who was thinking of something outside the current conversation…

**8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8**

Both were startled back to earth when the door opened once more, and a cleaner, more relaxed James came strolling in.

Cries of "Prongs, mate!" and "Hey James!" were uttered, and James Summoned himself up a seat, slipping into the circle of chairs by Lily's bedside.

"How is she?" he asked.

"No change, mate… sorry…" Sirius answered slowly, knowing how James had been hoping for one. It was evident in his face, and all at once, James looked like all he got for Christmas was a pair of old smelly yellow and orange socks.

"It's alright, Prongs…" Remus tried to comfort him. "She'll be up soon… you'll see…"

"Yeah James, she will…" both girls added their bit as well. "You know Lily… She's a fighter, hey James?"

This drew a smile.

"Hmmm… She's a great one, I'll grant her that much…"

"GREAT! Is that all you can say! Remember what happened to you after you turned her hair green and her eyes red! You know, 6th year, mate!" Sirius exclaimed, sending Remus and the girls into spasms of laughter.

"I do! I do! She put- " Kara stated, starting to laugh. "Put a potion in- in- his juice- made him go all queer…"

"SHUT UP!" James hissed, grabbing the spare pillow at the foot of Lily's bed and clamping it over his ears.

"And he went- went to the front of the room in Trans- Transfiguration… and he- " Tia gasped, nearly dying of laughter.

"Yeah… and he told- told McGonagal that- that- HA!" Sirius couldn't finish his sentence, as tears of mirth flowed down his face.

No one was able to finish Sirius' sentence; they were laughing too hard to even breathe properly.

"SHUT UP!" James moaned, hitting his head repeatedly on the wall next to him. "That's LOW! 'but at least no one finished it…' he thought, relieved. Famous last words…

"He told McGonagal that he loved her and that the wedding was on the sixth." rasped a weak, yet laughing, voice from the bed.

**8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8**

"LILY!" they all cried, throwing themselves on her, killing her with hugs and more hugs.

"Sirius! Can't - breathe!" she gasped out as Sirius hugged her as hard as he could.

"Sorry, Lily-flower… Just… I just… I couldn't live without you!" He fake-sobbed into her shoulder, winning a slightly-hoarse laugh.

"You're an- idiot, Sirius…"

"Hey! I resent that!" this brought a round of laughter from the group.

"Hi, Lily!" Remus said, giving her a gentle hug.

"Hello, Remus." She hugged him back. James, who was watching, felt a spark of jealously shoot through his heart, and for a moment, he wanted to kill Remus.

'they're just friends, just friends, just friends…' he murmured to himself, like a mantra, until he calmed down slightly.

Sirius, who noticed this, sent a look at the other members of the room, and getting the message, they all stood up, leaving James seated.

"Where are you lot going?" he asked, slightly alarmed at the mass migration.

"Uh, coffee."

"Cafeteria!"

"I'm going with Tia."

"Little boy's room… um… got to go!" And the four walked out of the room.

**8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8**

When they were safely out of Lily's and James' ear-shot, they stopped walking.

"Ok, Whitey." Tia said. "What's this all about?"

"Listen!" Sirius gathered the group closer. "You know how it seems that Lily and James are ABSOLUTELY perfect for each other?"

"Yes, and everyone seems to know it except them?" Kara added, catching on.

"Well, I propose that we give them a little… _help_…" Sirius ended, rubbing his hands together dangerously.

**8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8**

**A/N: DUN DUN DUN! What's Sirius planning? Find out next update! Please review! The more reviews, the faster the next update! Love you guys! Mwah!**

**Oh, one question: should I set the next "scene" while they're still in the hospital? Or should I do it once Lily is out?**

**Thanks! Remember! Review please!**


	9. Kindness and Letters

**A/N: here's chapter 9 guys! Enjoy! And thanks to the absolutely wonderful people who reviewed!**

**LaughingManiac-** here's the update! Thanks for reviewing!

**MissCheviousHP-** As usual, I LOVED the review! It's really nice that you like the story… I'm glad, really! Now, here's the update! Hopefully it didn't take too long coming!

**Snowgremlin-** ok… you'll see what I decided in this chapter… I try to make them longer, really I do… this chapter is the longest one, I think…

**8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8**

The room plunged into silence with the departure of the group. Lily and James were both aware of the others' presence, but didn't want to be the first to acknowledge it. James sat away from the bedside, nervous and self-conscious, acting like the slightest of movement would cause Lily harm. Yet inside, James was euphoric that she had awoken. To him, it felt strangely like the very first time he had gotten on a broomstick, or like the time he had caught his very first Snitch, against Slytherin, no less… He was just bubbling inside, and he… oh, he didn't know, all he knew was that he hadn't been _that_ happy in a long time…

**8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8**

James, noticing that Lily was trying to get up, rushed over to the bed and helped her, inserting a pillow under her back. She was surprised for a moment, then turned to him and smiled genuinely. "Thanks." She said, her voice weak and scratchy.

After that, just as the room threatened to revert to its' silent, uneasy state, James spoke up.

"D- Do you want a glass of water?" he asked, and Lily was taken aback by his almost-timid stuttering self. This was a moment totally out of place among their other encounters, when they would always end up fighting, ready to hex each other til the next millennium. Yet, different as this was, it was pleasant, and it made Lily feel… warm and shy… something she usually never was around James.

'It's just the spell's after-effects…' she told herself, taking the glass of water gratefully. "Thanks…"

She yawned then, failing to notice the 'did Hell just freeze over?' look on James face. She felt incredibly sleepy, as if talking and sitting up were chores. She tried to wriggle down, and once again was helped by James.

She yawned once more, and it seemed like her eyelids were closing on their own accord.

The last thing she saw before her eyes closed was a white-robed mediwitch, who spoke to James for a while.

"Don't worry, Lily…" James whispered, when he though she was asleep. "I'll be right here… just for you…"

**8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8**

Little did he know that Lily had heard every word, before falling into a deep, dreamless sleep.

**8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8**

Late that night, Lily woke up to find James asleep and drooling near the foot of her bed.

"He looks so adorable when he's asleep!" she thought, looking at him, his hair a perpetual mess and his glasses askew.

Unfortunately, her struggles to sit up woke James up, and he insisted on helping her sit up once more.

"I- You- Thank you, James…" she said, without noticing her little slip of tongue. Not noticing, that is, until she looked at him, and he looked back at her, mouth ever so slightly agape.

**8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8**

"Do you know what you just said?" he asked, barely able to hope.

Just then, she realised. "I- I- I-" she stuttered, casting around for an alibi. Realising it was hopeless, she changed the subject.

"What day is it?"

James handed her a glass of water while looking at his watch.

"1st of September, 11:58, no scratch that, **59** pm."

"Hmmm…" was all she was able to reply, and soon, a tense silence enveloped the room, as neither of them knew what to say.

**8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8**

Lily guessed that she should thank him or something… she knew, somehow, that he had been the one who had brought her to St. Mungo's, and that, without him, she could have been severely injured, or worse. But she still didn't want to be the first to speak.

'Come on, Potter, say something, please say something…' she urged in her mind.

When that failed, she cleared her throat, only to have James do the same, making both of them laugh shyly. Apparently, she hadn't been the only one who couldn't stand the silence.

"Look, I-" they spoke together, causing Lily to blush and James to rub the back of his neck, his ears turning suspiciously pink.

"Ladies first." James offered.

Lily was shocked now. This DEFINITELY wasn't the James Potter she knew. This James was polite, and kind, and bashful, and sweet, and… just so totally unlike himself… Something inside Lily stirred, a warm, pleasant feeling, and suddenly, she couldn't say much.

"I- I just wanted to say thanks…" she said, unsure of her words and actions for the first time in her life. Well, unless that counted that time at her 5th birthday party, when her old, scary-looking Aunt Edith came to visit, and Lily had been terrified of leaving her room for an entire week… but that didn't really count, did it?

James looked shy as well.

"You don't need to- I just wanted to- Never mind, I-" he fumbled with his words.

Lily actually laughed softly. He was just so cute when his friends weren't with him, and he wasn't actively trying to make a fool of himself and of others.

"No, really, James…" she said catching his attention once more. "I mean it. Thanks."

"It's- all good… Lily…"

They smiled at each other, talking about their summers, their families, and their friends, until dawn, when Lily finally fell asleep once more.

**8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8**

"YES!" Lily near shouted, as she danced along the pavement, Kara and Tia in tow. "I'm FREEEEEEEE!"

"Yeeeees, Lily…" Tia said, grabbing hold of Lily's arm and pulling her down. "Now let's get you home before anyone locks you up in St. Mungo's again, mental ward, this time!"

"Leave her along, Cha!" Kara chided. "Let the girl have some fun!"

"She can have all the fun she wants when we get to your house!" Tia shot back.

**8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8**

Until term started, the next day, all three girls were staying at Kara's house, where they spent the night making sure that their trunks (Lily's and Tia's had been sent there) were packed and ready. They also did make-overs, played truth-or-dare, and had a gigantic pillow fight, which Lily had to watch form the sidelines, having to rest her leg, and avoid using it as much as possible. This left her really annoyed, and she took to sulking on the bed. Not that it made any difference…

**8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8**

It was way past midnight before the girls fell asleep.

**8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8**

Early that morning, sitting up in bed and unable to sleep, Lily took to looking out the window, staring at the beautiful night sky. Just then, she noticed something flying towards her. An owl with something in its talons was flying towards her, and she gasped, forgetting one thing…

**BAM! **The window was suddenly a mass of feathers.

Lily had forgotten to open the window.

**8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8**

Luckily, the owl wasn't hurt. When Lily took it in, having to nearly scrape it off the window, it hopped onto her arm with a sharp peck.

"Ouch!" she said, pulling away, ready to cuss the owl to oblivion, but as she looked at it, it gazed at her with big eyes, it's head tilted ever so slightly to the left, and a 'well, you deserved it' hoot.

"I did deserve it, didn't I?" she asked commented in a whisper, and it hooted softly in reply.

"Friends?" she said, offering it one of the owl treats that she always had handy. The owl flew up to face level, and touching his beak to her cheek, something that felt like the owl version of a kiss…

He then landed on her lap, and hopped toward her, offering his right foot for her to see.

"Onyx." Read a name-band on his foot. A rather elegant yet simple name-band, to tell the truth, solid silver with ONYX spelt out in bold lettering. It was beautiful, just like the one whose name it bore.

Onyx hopped onto Lily's lap, his package momentarily forgotten by both parties. He rubbed against her stomach, making her giggle.

"You are a beautiful thing, aren't you?" she said, gently stroking his head. And he was. Coal black, with big brown 'don't you just love me' eyes, and a sweet, yet composed temperament, Onyx was a striking owl, and she had a hunch that he knew it. The owl in question closed his eyes, and seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the attention, before remembering his delivery and jumping off her lap, flapping silently over to the end of the bed, and bringing the rolled-up piece of parchment with him, as he settled onto Lily's lap once more. She took the parchment from his beak, and unrolled it, a thin piece of wood falling into her lap.

"My wand!" she exclaimed, still whispering, because she didn't want to wake the other girls. "Who gave this to you?" she asked the owl in surprise. Onyx merely hooted, as if to say 'just read the parchment…'

She did, picking up the parchment once more, noticing that the handwriting looked familiar, and started reading, softly, but out loud.

_**Dear Lily,**_

_**Here's your wand. I'm sorry it took so long for me to return it, but I always kept forgetting it at home. Now, before you rip this letter to pieces, I'm just going to tell you that you dropped it after the attacks in Diagon Alley, and I merely picked it up when you fell and took it home after taking you to St. Mungo's…**_

_**Don't worry, it's safe, I mean, I haven't jinxed it or anything. (Curious matter though, how do you jinx a wand? I mean, a wand usually does the jinxing, not the other way around… Or is it really the jinxer who does the jinxing with a wand- Wait, I'm straying off course… Let me get back to the other things in this letter.)**_

Lily laughed, in spite of herself. She now knew that James had written the letter. Had it been any other letter, she would have ripped it to shreds the moment she got it. Yet, now, Lily thought that she might as well give him the benefit of the doubt. After all, he had been really sweet and caring in the hospital… and she was sure that he wouldn't send an exploding letter… not with an owl _that_ beautiful… What if it blew the poor thing up as well?

Coming to her senses, Lily then shook her head, ridding herself of all her still-fuzzy-early-morning logic, and reading the letter once more.

_**Oh, Lily, I'm not sure if you've ever met my owl, Onyx. I apologise in advance for anything the naughty little bugger does while he's at your place… or Kara's place, in this case.**_

_**Don't be fooled by his little innocent looks, or those 'love me, love me' eyes. That little demon is a devil in disguise! (Oh, if you're reading this out loud, Onyx, you little bugger, you know this is true, so don't go and fluff up and make a fuss! I know you…)**_

Lily glanced at the owl, who **_was_** all fluffed and indignant, and was hooting '_THAT IS SO NOT TRUE!_' hoots, his feathers on end, and it seemed, brown eyes ablaze.

Lily laughed til tears formed in her eyes, and started to streak down her cheeks. Luckily, Tia and Kara were heavy sleepers, and didn't even turn over in their sleep.

Lily cuddled the owl to her chest until he 'deflated', so to speak.

"Don't worry, Onyx. I still love you!" she cooed. This seemed to make the owl happy, and he snuggled closer. He reminded Lily very much of her marmalade kitten, SanChi. Now that Onyx was more or less placated, she picked up the letter again.

**_Anyway, speaking of pets, yours is here with me. Dumbledore came to see me yesterday, while you were asleep in the hospital. Your parents are in hiding, but they're safe, please don't worry. Your sister is with a friend. According do Dumbledore, your cat and your sister feel the same way about each other. True? _**

_**Anyway, your kitten is really cute, but I'm really thankful that I'm of age, because she seems to have this really, REALLY bad habit of climbing the curtains. Look, it gets annoying for you too, I guess, and I have a suggestion. I can cast a simple charm on her. It's works like, well, a charm, and it's been proven too! I cast it on my cousin's cat, and it worked wonders… that is, until her cat imploded into a billion itsy-bitsy pieces…**_

Lily gasped and dropped the letter, then picked it up again and read on.

_**Lily? Look, if you still haven't passed out, I'll have you know that I was kidding… My cousin's cat is FINE, and yours is, too… So no worries there.**_

_**I guess that's all there is to say, really… except for a few more things…**_

**_Congratulations of making Head Girl. Though no one officially knows, aside from yourself, of course, practically everyone knows that the position is yours. Heck, even you knew that you were going to! Please don't deny it. I extend my sincere congratulations…_**

_**Well, I've gone and said everything that needs to be said. I hope you're feeling well, and see you tomorrow, I guess…**_

_**James Potter**_

_**P.S: My owl kissed you, didn't he? See, I told you that the nasty little bugger is no good! (And don't read this next bit out loud, but I'm sure that he's going to give you another kiss before he leaves. That is, is he hasn't already left… I doubt it though.)**_

_**P.P.S: And last but not least, I was going to save this little surprise for the train ride tomorrow, but, I guess, in your condition, I didn't want to surprise you any more than necessary:**_

_**I'm Head Boy. **_

…

…

…

_**P.P.P.S: Ok, NOW you can pass out… I don't expect any replies… Anyway, see you in the Heads' Compartment!**_

**8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8**

Lily gasped, shocked.

JAMES POTTER! Head BOY! Now Dumbledore had officially lost it! True, Potter- James- Potter- Ja- Oh, she didn't know WHAT to call him, but HEAD BOY! He _did_ have a nice side, but about all those detentions? Didn't those mean anything! She was so sure that Remus Lupin was going to be Head Boy!

She was oblivious to Onyx, who flapped up and _whooshed_ air in her face with his wing, snapping her out of it.

"I'm sorry Onyx…" she apologised. "I'm just in shock, you know?" she yawned. "And sleepy as well!"

Laying her wand on the table along with James' letter, she stretched out again. "You better be heading back, Onyx…" she suggested. "I'm to -yawn- too sleepy to reply right now…"

Onyx gave a hoot of understanding, and 'kissing' her once more on the cheek, flew out the window.

**8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8**

Lily closed it behind him, and the last thought in her head before she finally fell asleep was "James was right. He did kiss me again."

**8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8**

**A/N: Ok, people… NICE AND LOOONG! Now, please tell me how it was…**

**Just out of curiosity, I noticed that I'm on the author alert list of 11 people… so why are only 3 people reviewing? Please review, if you read this far, even if it's only a word like "HORRIBLE!" or "ALRIGHT" or something… just please review! Thanks!**

**TaMi**


	10. Train Rides and Mysterious Baskets

**A/N: OMG, guys, I'm sorry I haven't updated for so long! You guys must really really hate me! I'm so sorry, but well, there was this family trip to the Coast, followed by this party at a friends' place, and school, and half-yearlys… and papers… stupid papers… stupid war-obsessed English teacher! Stupid history teacher with the weird monotonic voice! Stupid school! breathe in… breathe out… okie-dokie… I'm calm… **

**GUYS! This chapter is one you WOULDN'T want to miss! I'm serious! It'll make you WANT to leave a review!**

**Now, ehm… thanks guys! I love you dear reviewers! I loved your reviews as well! That's more like it!**

**Afasd- **horrible review! KIDDING! Glad you like the story! Hope to hear from you again! Thanks!

**Diddlinalover-** Sorry for not updating sooner… here's the Heads' Compartment scene, just for you:-) Thanks for the review!

**FrozenFate-** here's the update! I love Onyx as well! Adorable, isn't he? With his owl kisses and all… thanks for reviewing!

**Madscotswoman-** Glad you think my story's brilliant… I'm really happy… :-) thanks for both reviews! I loved them! Oh, and just out of curiosity, are you REALLY Scottish? Just curious… you don't need to answer that… Hope you enjoy this update! Thanks for reviewing!

**Mkiara-** Here it is! Thanks for your review!

**Snowgremlin-** Sorry if I confused you… but to tell the truth, I thought about putting in something mushy-mushy, but then decided that doing so would be moving it too fast… I wanted James and Lily to be friends when they started 7th year, so I couldn't have him kiss her… because the results would take the story off the main road… did that make sense? Sorry but I'm the kind of person who just types anything down and hopes it gels with what she just said… :-P I wish I had an Onyx as well… Adorable little bugger, he is… :-) Thanks for reviewing!

**TapDancingSpiders-** I'm really glad you like the story… I agree with your whole "deathly allergic" thing, by the way… I mean, you might just end up in jail for manslaughter or something… but anyway, I **do** feel proud that I got you to review! Each and every review does that! Thanks for reviewing, and I'll try and take a squizz at your mugglenet fic soon… thanks!

* * *

Lily looked thoughtfully at the little alarm clock beside her bed. 5:06 in the morning. Why couldn't she sleep? She was sleepy from last night's encounter with Onyx, and the weird, nearly-friendly letter James Potter had sent. Maybe that's why she was freaked and insomniatic… that meant that she's have to spend time with James Potter… true he had been nice in the hospital and all, but did that really make up for years and years of pranks and pain? Nah, Lily didn't think so… yet, she decided to give him the benefit of the doubt… and actually listen to the advice Tia and Kara had given her over the years… wait one second… was 'insomniatic' even a word? 

"Who cares!" Lily murmured out loud, getting up and padding into Kara's bathroom, clothes and wand in hand.

After a short cold shower to keep her awake, Lily dried herself and put on her clothes, white hip-huggers and a deep-green-nearly-black peasant blouse. She also put on small emerald studs in her ears. She loved emeralds… her favourite gems… mainly because green was her favourite colour.

Quickly drying and straightening her hair with her wand, she pulled it up into a half-ponytail, leaving the rest down, and a few strands to frame her face.

"There you go. That'll have to do…" She said, looking at her reflection in the mirror. And sighed in frustration.

There wasn't much Lily liked about herself. Her hair was too curly and too red, she was too short, her face was too oval-shaped, her temper too short… the list went on. No, there wasn't much that Lily Evans liked about herself.

Which was why she always doubted the sincerity of James Potter's statements. She never knew whether he was just playing with her, or whether he was telling the truth… though she always doubted that he did… tell the truth, that is…

"Oh, bugger this." She said out loud. "This is not supposed to be bugging me right now…"

* * *

"Lily!" an irate growl came from the bathroom door. Lily opened the door and found Tia there. She was holding Kara's pet cat, Meow-Ling, by the scruff of the neck, and Meow-Ling was hissing and spitting for all she was worth. It was common knowledge that Meow-Ling and Tia hated each other with a passion. Lily nearly laughed. Nearly, because, had she did, Tia would have dismembered her on the spot. Tia was NOT a morning person, to put it kindly.

"Damn these stupid magical cats!" she said fiercely, thrusting Meow-Ling at Lily. Meow-Ling hissed at Tia, before curling up and purring in Lily's arms. Lily always loved cats, and it seemed that all cats seemed to LOVE Lily…

"Really?" Lily said, quickly hiding a smile that threatened to show. "What did she do now?"

"The furball-from-hell was using me as a trampoline!" Tia raged. "How would you like to wake up to a 20-kilo (for other readers, that's 44 pounds) cat bouncing on you? Huh?"

"Ok… Look, Tia, why don't you take a turn in the shower? I'll take care of this naughty little furball-from-hell, as you so eloquently put it…"

* * *

After Tia was safely away from Meow-Ling, and singing in the shower, Lily put Meow-Ling down on the ground. Meow-Ling, being magical, had an uncanny ability to understand English, and seemed to have a talent for the stage. Only, she couldn't handle any speaking lines. Cats had their limits, apparently, even in the magic world. 

Squatting down on the floor beside the cat, Lily asked. "Ok, furball-from-hell, what EXACTLY did you do to Tia now?"

Meow-Ling dragged Lily's folded-up pyjamas onto the floor. After rearranging them into a (shockingly accurate) human shape, Meow-Ling simply walked over and onto the pile and started _jumping_, up… down…up…down… all around, on what, Lily surmised, would have been Tia. This time, she couldn't help it, and burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" a voice came from behind. Lily looked around and saw Kara, rubbing her eyes. "Why are you up and dressed so early, Lily? And why are you letting Meow-Ling jump on your laundry?"

"Did you hear a growl of anger this morning?" Kara nodded.

"It woke me up and I couldn't go back to sleep."

"Well, three guesses who that was, and what caused it."

Kara sighed. "Oh, Meow-Ling…" she picked up the cat that was rubbing its 'good morning greetings' on her leg. "Why can't you and Kara get along? And why were you jumping on Lily's laundry?"

"Look at the _shape_ of the laundry, Kara-Banana. What does it remind you of?"

"Um… someone sleeping?" Lily nodded.

"Close… take another guess…"

Kara leaned closer. "Oh no…"

"Yep…"

"Oh, Meowie… you didn't jump _on_ her, did you?"

The cat snuggled closer and purred, sounding very _very_ pleased with itself.

Kara sighed and put down the cat, replacing it with some clothes. "I'm taking a shower, Lily… I'll be in my parents' room if anyone needs me."

* * *

Later on, after a frenzy of Summoning charms and last-minute packing (and a last minute spat between Meow-Ling and Tia), the three were finally able to Floo, baggage and all, to a pub that was near King's Cross. They would have Apparated, if it wasn't for the fact that Tia, who wouldn't turn 17 until December, wasn't of age yet. So, they Floo-d, rather uneventfully. 

They ran through the barrier, first Lily, then Tia, then Kara bringing up the rear. In its cage, Pilates, Tia's owl, lay asleep and unperturbed by noise and bustle of the station. Pilates was a 17th-birthday gift from Tia's exercise obsessed mother.

Lily looked around the station. No James Potter anywhere. No Onyx either. Looked like it was safe…

The three girls managed to get onto the train without a fuss, and almost immediately found a compartment, and settled in, as they always did, knowing that it was going to be a _looong_ ride.

* * *

"Did you girls know that at the same time that Diagon Alley was attacked, like you know, 3 days ago, they attacked the Hogwarts Express as well?" Tia asked in a sombre voice. 

"I think I heard about it…" Lily said. "But I heard that no one died. That's true, right?"

"Mmm-hmm." Tia replied. "By why would Lord whatever-his-name-is bother attacking the train? It's empty most of the year anyway!"

"No, actually, it isn't." Lily answered. "I read about it in-"

"_Hogwarts, a History_. We know where you read it, Lily..."

Lily glared at both girls before continuing. "Anyway, I'd read that the Hogwarts Express is a mode of transportation for the magic world. Not only for us Hogwarts students, but for other members of the magic community as well… Rather like school busses. They take you to school, but take other people around the city while classes are going on… you know."

"Oh." The other two replied.

"Ok. So anyway, I'd heard that there were a few people unaccounted for, but none that died. Like, you know. _Died _died. Lucky the train was full of Aurors going on this trip thingy." Tia continued.

"What trip thingy?" Lily asked. Aurors fascinated her, and it was on Lily's list of future careers.

"Well, as you know, my parents are Aurors." Kara said. "Once or twice a year, they have to go to this seminar or something. It's supposedly top secret, and, now I remember, they do use the Hogwarts Express sometimes. This is the first time it has been attacked though."

"Weird, hey?" Lily remarked, then glanced at her watch. "So sorry girls, but I have to go… you know, head girl meeting and all…" She said, suddenly remembering who her co-head was, and surprisingly, the words "oh no!" did not automatically fly into her head.

"Yeah… Got your badge?" Tia asked, as Kara stood up to give her friend a hug.

"Yup. Dumbledore sent it with my luggage."

"That's my girl!" Tia exclaimed then pretended to tear up. "Y'know?" she said, pretending to sniffle. "It seems only yesterday that we met our little Lily on the train, looking so lonely and scared…"

"Yeah, well, at least she wasn't bawling her eyes out, hey Tia?" Kara cut in with a smirk on her face.

"Shut up, both of you!" Tia burst out in humiliation. "I was a first year then!"

"But, Tia-Love, so were we!" Lily replied, smirk plastered on her face as well. "Girls, nice to reminisce with you and all, but I really, REALLY have to go… I'm due up in the Heads' carriage in… 2 minutes. Literally. Now, I'll see you girls later… It is a 7 hour trip, you know. If you don't see me by then, you know I'm dead, so don't bother looking for me…"

After a few bursts of sarcastic laughter from Tia and a "you'll be fine" from Kara, Lily left, and wound her way nervously to the Heads' Carriage.

* * *

"Why am I so nervous?" she chided herself. "This is only a prefect meeting. I've been to those before. No big." 

'But there's James Potter there as well.' Her conscience butted in. She hated those times. It'd pop up when you least expect it.

"Yeah, so what! He's done nothing but be a jerk for the last 6 years. Nothing is going to change!"

'But he **_HAS_** changed! And you know it!' the voice replied.

"Yeah, changed for the worse, I betcha."

'Ha. Ha. Ha. That is not funny… you know what he's like now. Shy, sweet, charming… hot…' the last bit was said with an evident smirk.

"My head did not just say that James Potter is _hot_!" Lily said, tapping her head with her hand in a panic. "I've so seriously lost it!"

And without noticing, she walked straight into the Head's Carriage door.

* * *

"Are you alright dear?" the door asked, a mouth and eyes suddenly appearing. 

"That was stupid, wasn't it?" Lily said, rubbing her head where she hit it.

"Quite, love." The door replied. "Password, please?"

"Banana Split."

'Dumbledore has some serious problems.' Lily thought to herself, as the door let her in. 'all his passwords are food-related…'

* * *

Lily stepped into the room and found that, unlike she'd previously thought, she wasn't the first one there. James was seated on one of the benches by the window, and looked up as she came in, his expression thoughtful. Lily suddenly felt very self-conscious. 

"Um, hey." James smiled at her. He looked rather shy himself, which was unnatural. This change in him nearly scared Lily. After all, the only James Potter she knew was arrogant, bullying, and annoying. _This_ James Potter was sweet, and shy, and friendly. It scared her to think what he could be planning, but it positively alarmed her to think that _maybe_, just _MAYBE_, he might NOT be up to anything at all. For some reason, that seemed to shock Lily more than the thought that he was just acting.

"Hello… Lily…" James said slowly, as if saying the wrong thing would cause him to be hanged, drawn and quartered on the spot. Then he sighed. Now to voice what he'd been thinking of for the past half-hour that he had spent alone in the compartment. "Listen, Lily, I know you don't like me. Not in that like _like_ kinda way, but you don't enjoy my company and all. Yes?"

Lily nodded slowly, wondering whether that answer would make her the sole witness to James' Potter's suicide.

"So, anyway." James continued, but Lily noticed the look of raw pain that shot across his face at her nod. "I was wondering… if, maybe, for the sake of our Head's duties and the sanity of the school, maybe…"

"Yeah?" Lily coaxed him on as he stopped, unsure. He cleared his throat. "Maybe we call a… um… a cease-fire?"

"You mean, kinda like an armistice?" Lily asked.

"Armistice, truce, cease-fire, call it what you want. But, what do you think? I'm not asking to marry you or anything, I'm just asking that Hogwarts have a… ehm… _break_ from the daily bickering and all. You know."

She looked at him across the compartment, watched him look back at her… he looked so earnest, so innocent. Almost like a little kid meeting "Santa" for the first time. How could she refuse?

* * *

She sighed and watched his face fall, anticipating her answer. 

"Sure, _James_. Truce." She said, holding her hand out and smiling at him. Not one of those "lips only" smiles, but a genuine smile. She really truly felt that smile, from the tips of her to the tips of her toes.

"Truce?" he repeated faintly, staring at her slim outstretched hand as if it was a mountain of tinfoil and he was a Niffler. "Are you serious! I mean, you're not going to back out on me and slap me upside the head or something?"

"No, James. I'm not going to slap you upside the head. Now, truce?"

James grabbed her hand and pumped it up and down. "Hell, yeah!"

Then he smiled back at her, and for the first time in their lives, Lily Evans and James Potter smiled at each other and managed to go through a whole conversation without ripping each other's throats out.

* * *

Just then, the 7th year prefects filed in, their year 5 and 6 "little prefects" in tow. The 7th year prefects were made up of the following people: for Gryffindor, Remus Lupin and Patricia Johnson; Hufflepuff, John Andrews and Amelia Watson; Ravenclaw, Brett Garner and Jaydene DeSalvo; and Slytherin, Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Black. 

"Now, people." James said, standing up and gathering everyone's attention. "Old prefects and… new prefects… your attention please. Hi, I'm James Potter, I'm 17, and I haven't been drunk in… 3 months." People laughed at this, and after stealing a glance at Lily, James was pleased to find that she looked both scandalised and amused.

"Attention, please. Anyway, I'm James Potter and I'm going to be Head Boy this year. This is my co-Head, Head Girl, the beautiful, the talented, the one and only, Miss Lily Evans." He introduced, and Lily turned a bright red, before standing up and waving gaily at the people. All except the Slytherins waved and / or smiled back, but Lily didn't mind.

"Ehm…" James cleared hi throat, and attention focused on him once more. "Most of you already know what to do. But for the sake of the 'little prefects', these are the rules: one, please be perfectly good role models for the new midgets… ehm… sorry… the new _first years_." He corrected himself hastily, noticing a murderous expression on Lily's face.

"Two, please note that you are to report to your Head-of-House once every fortnight. And three, do NOT take advantage of your position. If you do, Ms. Evans and I are allowed to confiscate your badge and / or your Prefect status. Also, you might be forced to spend a whole year's detention with Mr. Filch." He stopped, seeing all the Prefects cringe. "You wouldn't like that, would you?"

Murmurs of "nuh-uh!" and "ouch!" filled the compartment, and James grinned. "Ok. Your Heads-of-Houses will brief you further when we get to Hogwarts. Just head straight to the staff room after dinner and the Sorting Ceremony. And now, I believe Miss Evans has something to say?"

Lily stood, holding a sheet of paper. "Yeah, thanks. Anyway, would the prefects from each house come up to me for Dorm passwords? Please note that this paper is charmed, so if anyone tries to read another House's password, all they'll see is a copy of 'Waltzing Matilda', written in Vietnamese."

After giving the prefects their corresponding passwords, (_'saturn skies'_ for Gryffindor, _'winging dragons' _for Ravenclaw, _'blooming grace' _for Hufflepuff, and_ 'cold blood'_ for Slytherin), the two Heads were left alone in the carriage.

* * *

After a few munutes of silence, James whipped out his wand and started to twirl it expertly in his fingers. "I wonder if there's a secret compartment here…" he said, voicing his thoughts, looking around the large carriage. 

"I don't know…" Lily said. She was still rather wary around James, because, as she learned from past experiences, it did not pay to underestimate James Potter.

"Want to find out?" James asked her eagerly, his eyes shining. He loved things like this, exploration, spell creation, the like.

"What are you going to do? Is it going to cause much damage? Is it going to blow up the train? What spell are you going to use?" Lily demanded, the questions flying thick and fast.

James raised his arms in the classic 'please don't shoot; I have a wife and 2 kids' position. "Its this spell the Marauders and I invented. It shows if there's a silencing charm on anything in the room, and removes it, and if there is anything, or _anyone_, hiding in the cabin, it makes it, of them, appear."

Lily shivered at the thought, and nodded, placing faith in James. "NO damage, right? You promise?"

"Yeah… Lily… don't worry… no damage."

"Full steam ahead then!" Lily said enthusiastically; she was, against her greater instincts, interested in what was going to happen next.

* * *

James nodded and swiftly cast the charm. Suddenly, both teens heard a sound coming from the baggage rack. 

Multiple chills ran up Lily's spine, and she looked at James just as he looked at her.

"What the!" they cried together, and James got up on the chair, reaching deep back into the rack, Lily guarding him, her wand out and ready.

James' hair stood on end as he felt his fingers touch a hard plastic surface, with a little bit of what felt like cloth at the edge. He pulled it out slowly, and found a hard plastic basket thing, with a handle, covered in cloth. The sound came from inside it.

"What the?"

Lily dropped her defensive stance. "What?" she asked.

James turned around. "It's a picnic basket, I think…"

Lily let lose a string of swear words in her shock, and dropped her wand, knowing EXACTLY what was inside the basket. "James, that is NOT a picnic basket!" she near-yelled, running to the 'basket' which James had put down in fear, and ripping off the cloth cover. She screamed and backed away, as James looked at her in shock. James walked over to it, leaned over and lifted the cloth sheet…

* * *

"**BLOODY HELL!** IT'S A BABY!" **

* * *

A/N: Oooh… suspense! And a little bit of a cliff-hanger… so… how'd you like it! How many of you guys actually guessed that that was coming, huh? Hahahah… **

**I swear, I could feel the suspense as I wrote it… I know this chapter is slightly longer than usual, but then I couldn't resist… I just felt the need to freak you guys out and make up for the time that I spent without updating… hopefully, this makes up for me not updating for a long time, huh? So… forgive me?**

**Thanks! Please leave a review! Please share your after-story shock and or comments… :-) You know you want too… **


	11. Games and Cryptic Letters

**A/N: O-righty everyone! This chapter is dedicated to several people: firstly, MADSCOTSWOMAN, because of the fact that she helped me out of a serious case of writer's block (I didn't know what to name the baby:-P)! Three cheers for her! YEY! **

**And also, this chapter is dedicated to all the Filipino, half-Filipino, fourth-Filipino, eighth-Filipino, and ANY FILIPINO people out there! Maligayang Araw Ng Kalayaan! (And for all you non-Pinoy readers, that's "Happy Independence Day"… In the Philippines, Independence Day's on the 12th of June… I'm typing this on the twelfth of June… might not post it on time, but whatever…) **

**But first…**

**Cath-a2ff-**I'm glad you like the story, and I love your fan fic as well! Thanks for reviewing! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

**Deathgirl997-**Thanks for your review! Here's the update! I'm glad that you like the story, and I hope that you review again soon! Thanks!

**Iluvdraco- **Hey, thanks for your review! Anyway, everything gets explained in this chapter so, yeah, hope you review this one as well! Thankies!

**Iluvgerardbutler- **Here's the update! Thanks for the review, by the way! I'm glad you like my story! I'll try and take a squizz at yours when it's up… Enjoy the chapter! And, btw, who's Gerard Butler? Name sounds familiar, in a deja-vu-ish kinda way… :-P

**Madscotswoman- **Thanks for the name suggestions! And I'll gladly oblige you! You'll find the baby's name out if you read this chapter:-) Aright, I better make this short, so you can read 'your' chapter… :-P You don't mind sharing, do you:-( Anyway, thanks for the review, and I hope to hear from you soon:-)

**Soccerchic- **I'm glad that you like my fanfic… Thanks for reviewing! I try to update, ASAP, but sometimes, life gets in the way… :-)

**SpUfFeH fOr EvEr- **Your nerves broke, huh? Hahahha… anyway, like the pen-name… is that pronounced "Spuffy?"? I'm just wondering… it's just this random thought, sorry. :-) Anyway, here's the update! Hope you like it!

* * *

"Bloody Hell!" It's a BABY!", James yelled, jumping backwards in shock, and nearly collapsing onto Lily, who was on the seat against the opposite wall of the compartment.

"What the hell is a baby doing in a hidden corner of the freakin' train!" Lily burst out, nearly hyperventilating in her shock.

James, after getting over his initial shock (and fright, though he'd never admit that to anyone), was much calmer. "Look, I can Summon Onyx here, and we can write to Dumbledore. Or, I could Apparate near Hogwarts grounds to get Dumbledore. I'm sure that's a faster way."

Lily thought it over. "You're leaving me here!" she gasped. James noticed that the knuckles on her right hand, which grasped her wand, were turning whiter and whiter.

"Look, you'll be safe, I swear. I'll only be a few minutes, ten at most."

"You can't do thi-" she started, but was cut off as the baby began to cry.

James looked at her and at the basket. "Good luck…" he said sympathetically, stopping to transfigure one of the compartments' many pillows into a baby bottle, before Disapparating with a _pop_.

* * *

Lily took the bottle, amazed. She'd never had thought of that. She would have just sat there panicking… Not good for the baby. Whoever it belonged to.

She picked up the bottle and walked to the carrier (that's what it was, a baby carrier). Lifting the cloth, she recoiled for a second, as if the baby would bite her on sight or something.

But then, she realized that she was being stupid. There was absolutely nothing the baby could do to her. Most likely, the poor thing was scared, lonely, and hungry to boot.

Gathering courage, she looked into the carrier, and immediately, her heart melted. Inside, there was the most beautiful baby girl that she had ever seen. She was fair, and had dark wispy baby-hair, and the most beautiful grayish heliotrope eyes. She didn't seem too old, about three or four months old, at most. Granted, after almost three days of no food and no diaper changes, the baby wasn't looking, or feeling, her best.

"Oh, you poor thing!" Lily cooed, picking her up gently, and feeding her. The baby stopped crying and sucked on the bottle hungrily, while, one-handed, Lily performed a quick "_Scourgify_" to remove three days' worth of smells from both the carrier and the baby, and to change the baby's nappy.

"That's better, isn't it?" Lily asked, not expecting a reply. None came, of course, but the baby seemed genuinely happy and gurgled happily.

'It's a good thing that I helped out with Lara last summer.' Lily thought, remembering that summer, when her friend Hayleigh had come over, with her newborn daughter Lara.

* * *

Lily lifted the baby up to her chest, and burped her. Once the baby had burped, and was now cooing sleepily on Lily's shoulder, she started rocking and sang to it gently, until it closed its eyes and fell asleep.

Just as the baby fell asleep and had been settled into the carrier, James and Dumbledore came popping into the carriage, startling Lily.

"I see that you have a little someone to see me, Miss Evans?" Dumbledore came up and looked into the carrier, where the baby was snoring peacefully.

Lily and James stood to the sidelines, awkward and shy. "How is it? You know. The baby." James asked Lily in a whisper.

"_She_'s fine. Do you know who her parents are?"

"He wouldn't say."

* * *

Just then, Dumbledore called to the Heads. The walked over to him, their faces inquisitive. Naturally.

But he held up a hand. "I know that both of you have your share of questions, and I understand your confusion."

They both nodded, and, side-tracking a little, Dumbledore noticed, again, that the teens were the equivalent of north and south, or Night and Day. There was James, tall and blasé and the petite yet fiery Lily. Opposite as poles on a magnet.

Then James broke him out of it. "I'm sure, Headmaster, that there is a 'but' somewhere in that sentence…"

Dumbledore smiled. "Yes, unfortunately, Mr. Potter, there is. At the moment, there are certain-" he looked at the carrier where the baby girl was sleeping peacefully. "Certain, shall we say, _errands_, to run. As such, you will have to care for the child, at least until you get to Hogwarts."

He noticed the 'are you kidding us!' looks on their faces, and continued with a smile. "Please head straight to my office when you arrive. I trust you won't mind missing the Sorting?"

"No, sir." They replied, relieved. After seven years, the Sorting Ceremony became rather boring.

"Alright then. Now, I must be off. The train is about 3 hours away from Hogwarts, at the moment, so you will have a fair amount of time with Jessie." He nodded, ready to Apparate.

"Professor!" Lily stopped him. "Is that her name? Jessie?"

He nodded. "It is, Miss Evans. I will tell you everything else when I see you later tonight. Oh, and, Mr. Potter," he added. "Excellent spell-work." Then Dumbledore Disapparated with a _pop_.

* * *

Lily and James watched him disappear. Then James realized something.

"Wait up!" he exclaimed.

"What?"

"I never told him how we found Jessie."

Lily shrugged.

"Brilliant man, Dumbledore."

"True."

* * *

James walked over to the carrier and sat down beside it, ensuring that it didn't slide off the seat because of the rough jolting of the train. Lily walked over as well, and sat on the carrier's other side. There was about an arm's distance between her and James, and for once in their lives, Lily didn't mind.

"She's a really gorgeous baby…" James whispered, looking down at Jessie.

"Mmm. Have you seen her eyes?"

"Why!" James asked, leaning as far away as he could from Jessie.

Lily laughed. "It's nothing to worry about. It's just that it's strange, their colour."

"Strange as in good strange? Or weird, alien-y, spooky kind of strange?"

"Good strange… They're so pretty. It's like they're nearly a sort of smoky purple! That's really rare, at most!"

"Yeah." James replied, but to Lily, he looked rather far away, like, he was with her physically, but not mentally…

"What's wrong?" she asked, honestly wondering about his sanity.

"I'm just thinking…" he replied, thoughtful and distant. "Where are her parents? They couldn't have just packed up and left!"

"No… I guess not…" Lily replied, starting to think of circumstances. Then she realized.

"Do you think it's possible that maybe, just maybe, her parents were aurors? That they were attacked on the train and they hid her for safe-keeping?"

"I think it's… possible…" James said, "But why would they-"

He cut himself off as Jessie woke up and began to cry.

* * *

"I'll get her." James said, transfiguring yet another cushion into a bottle and picking up Jessie, who was starting to fret.

For a second, Lily grew scared that James would drop her and cause some heavy damage to the poor thing's brain, but he held Jessie both firmly yet gently, that Lily was amazed. And ashamed, because she had always thought James Potter to be rough and quick, but when she saw him pick up Jessie, she saw a whole other side of him. She judged him too quickly, she realized, and that was something she had to stop doing.

Meanwhile, James was busy, not feeding Jessie, but playing with her. She was lying on her back in a cushion-turned-crib and was playing with a small soft plush toy James was holding and dangling above her head. She'd swat at it and coo and gurgle and James would "answer" back, as if he was really talking to her.

The scene made Lily want to laugh and cry at the same time. It was just so adorable to see James Potter this way, and slowly, ever SO slowly, Lily noticed that she didn't mind the thought of having to stay in a dorm with him for a whole year. After all, they were friends now…

That's what she was thinking as she stepped closer and joined the game.

* * *

About half an hour before they were due at Hogwarts, the Marauders, plus Tia and Kara walked in. And stared in shock at what was happening in the compartment.

James was in an armchair (the compartment was like a Room-of-Requirement prototype… not as advanced, but good enough.) and was holding Jessie up in the air. She was giggling and gurgling and her smoky purple eyes were lit up. Lily was sitting close, in an armchair as well, and was laughing heartily at the other two's antics. Both teens didn't notice their friends standing there until Sirius laughed, catching their attention.

"A baby, Prongs?" he said. "So, you two've been pretty busy, huh?" he joked, rather suggestively.

James handed Jessie to Lily, and soon, he and Sirius were involved in a 'fight', rather like animals in a wild-life documentary, minus the commentator with the monotonous voice.

Lily and Jessie on the other hand, were besieged by Tia and Kara, who, after Lily told them the story, Remus and Peter listening in, were shocked that any one could abandon such a perfect child. (Lily hadn't told them about her opinion that Jessie's parents were aurors.)

"Jessie… Isn't that a Scottish name?" Tia asked. Being widely-traveled, she knew about stuff like this.

The other two made 'We don't know' sounds, and were soon engrossed (Jessie included) in watching the three boys (Peter had slunk out) roll around growling and roaring on the floor. Whether they were trying to amuse the girls or kill each other, Lily didn't know, but it looked like they were achieving both.

* * *

After saying good-bye to their friends near the Great Hall, James and Lily, with Jessie in her arms, fast asleep, made their way to Dumbledore's office. Lily was rather clueless, never having been there before, but James seemed right at home.

They let themselves in, because Dumbledore was still at the feast. James headed straight toward an ornate perch, while Lily hovered uncomfortably in the background, before taking a seat in one of the chairs in the room and looking around in awe.

"Hello, Fawkes!" James said, stroking the beautiful bird, who was singing an eerie, yet soothing song.

"Is that a phoenix?" Lily asked, awed. "It's beautiful."

"It's a _he_." James corrected. "And his name's Fawkes. Fawkes, this is Lily. Lily, Fawkes."

Lily reached up to stroke the bird's plumage hesitantly. Fawkes leaned over, and seemed to peer at Jessie.

* * *

"Do you think she'll be cold here in the castle?" Lily asked James fearfully, looking at the thin-seeming romper the infant was wearing, and cuddling her closer.

"She'll be fine, I think… Just keep her close to you and she'll be right."

"How do you know so much about kids anyway?" Lily asked, the thought just bouncing into her head. "Last time I heard, you were an only child."

"Still am, actually." James said with a smile. "But every holidays, I have relatives over, and one of them _always_ seems to have a kid, about this age, with them. My family must own and orphanage somewhere, all the kids they bring in… Anyway, I always end up taking care of the little buggers. Take them up on brooms and stuff, if Mum allows, and telling them stories if she doesn't. 'Coz of that, I know a whole HEAP of stories by now."

Lily grinned. She liked this 'new' James. Platonic, of course, but at least she didn't hate him.

* * *

Just then, Dumbledore came striding in.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." He said, striding to his desk. "Please, sit down."

The Heads obliged him. "Now, I better get to the point."

"First things first. This little beauty here." He gestured at Jessie, "is Jessie Mystèra Wilkes. 4 months old. Any questions?"

Jessie yawned, showing her toothless baby gums, and snuggled closer to Lily.

"Where are her parents, sir?" James and Lily asked at the same time, and blushed.

Dumbledore sighed. "Her parents were on the train when they were attacked. They were on their way to…" he hesitated. "…to a special event."

Lily noticed Dumbledore look slightly at James. James seemed to have gotten the message. Whatever it was.

"But why?"

"Why do they take her along to the meetings?"

"Yes, sir." Lily blushed, embarrassed for not being precise enough.

"Well, they didn't like letting people they didn't trust watch over her. Enchanting little thing, isn't she?"

Both teens nodded.

* * *

"As I was saying, her parents were on the train when it was attacked. They fought valiantly, but…" He stopped, and James felt a chill run up his spine. Lily held Jessie closer to her in horror.

It was a while before Dumbledore continued. "Even now, we are looking for any relatives that little Jessie may have, but that is a rather daunting task, as her mum was Scottish, and her dad was French."

"But sir, assuming that it was her parents that put her in the compartment, how would anyone have found her?"

"I got a rather cryptic letter this morning. Right before I saw you, Mr. Potter." James nodded.

* * *

"Would you like to see it?"

The Heads nodded.

It read:

**_Hidden lies a secret, where love first came to be_**

_**Hidden in the room above, not for prying eyes to see**_

**_Be safe for now, and forever more,_**

**_at home, or away on foreign shores_**

**_Be still, our love and blessed be,_**

_**Our pride, our joy,**_

_**Our Mystery**_

"It's great, professor, but what does it mean?" Lily asked.

James nodded. "I get some bits but not others."

Dumbledore looked wan and tired. "It's all about Jessie here, but the story goes back about 10 years…"

Lily and James leant forwards expectantly.

**A/N: Ooooh, longest one ever! And ANOTHER cliffie! Bwahahahha… sorry guys… couldn't resist… but it was getting too long:-) So, what'd you think? Please review even if you didn't like it! Thanks!**

**Oh, and props to anyone who can decipher the poem (Come on people, it isn't that HARD! I'm a horrible poet… ) any ideas to what the poem means? Email me or put it into a review:-P Thanks!**


	12. Answers and Arrangements

**A/N: first things first: I apologize for taking AGES and AGES to update… Mea Culpa… anyway, let me tell you: since I posted last, I have moved three different times, lived in three different houses, stayed with 2 different sets of relatives, dyed my hair, flew for about 10 hours, started school, unpacked, got sick, got better, cursed my internet a few billion times (it hasn't been working) and threw a going away party for a friend I'll never see again… BEA, COME BACK! WHY'D YOU HAVE TO GO! CANADA ISN'T RIGHT FOR YOU! Sigh…. Beeeeaaaaaaaaaaaa! No!**

**Anyway, to better things… thanks so much to my glorious reviewers! You people are a large part of what makes my heart beat… (dyou know, I accidentally put "you make my heart eat" I kind of forgot to push the "b" button… Hahahaha…. Such is the power of reading and re-reading… :-P LoL…) **

**cath-a2ff-**I agree! I know, I love babies, but they always seem so delicate and fragile, it kind of scares me to have their lives in my hands, you know? And it doesn't matter that you thought it was a niffler, though they seem to be pretty adorable as well… :-P Thanks for waiting for an update, and I hope you like it…

**Ilovegerardbutler-** thanks for telling my… so sorry that it's taken ages to update, but my reasons are good ones… I swear…. Hahahaah… thanks for reviewing and I hope you like this new installment!

**Madscotswoman-** I'm so sorry that it's taken me forever to update! Had I been in your shoes, I would have been terribly annoyed as well… but don't worry, this new chap's here now, and everything's going to be ok! Yey:-P

Isn't James just the best, huh? I'm kind of using this as a foreshadowing (you know, like he's Harry's dad…)

And don't worry! Sirius and Remus would end up taking care of Jessie sometime or other, that's for sure… hahahaah… wouldn't that be a laugh:-P

**MissCheviousHP-**Wow… really… that's all I can say… WOW! There's absolutely NO way to respond to those reviews! And don't worry, all is forgiven… hopefully I can receive the same treatment… I'm sorry for taking AGES to reply, but I had GREAT reasons… so yeah… thanks so much for your brill reviews and I hope that those reviews would keep on comin! Isn't Onyx just the cutest! I love the little thing! I simply adore each and every little feather tip on the little bugger! Don't worry, Onyx is (hypothetically) going to play a large part in this story, cute as he is… :-P

By the way, about Meow-Ling and her name, that's completely mine… I seem to have so many OC's in this story, don't you think? Hahahaha… but I think OC's help give the stories character… but yeah, that might just be me…

Thanks for trying to decode the poem by the way… you'll see it explained in the poem… I'm still working all the kinks in the chapter, so far, and it might be a few more days until I post it… (though when you'll read this, I'll already have posted it… :-P)

Like I said, thanks again! Your reviews are awe-spiring!

**October Tuscany-**halfie, are you? Hello! Say "Kamusta" to your dad for me… do you speak any Filipino? Just asking… coz you know, if your dad's a Filipino and all… but yeah… thanks for trying to decipher the poem as well… and don't worry, your guess was pretty close… well, thanks for reviewing, and I hope to hear from you again soon:-P

**OTHCharmedHPFreak- **nah, most likely, you got most of that right, actually… congratulations… thanks for reviewing by the way. Wonderful review! Hope you do it again soon:-P

**Siriusforeva-** thanks for your review:-P hope to hear from you soon!

**Snowgremlin- **James is good with kids, ey? Hahahaha… thanks for review! Review again soon:-P

**Teh Spuffeh Lover-** yeah, I think (I'm the AUTHOR, and even I don't know… I'm kind of leaving this story to fate…), that Lily and James are going to care for Jessie for THE YEAR, maybe just a weensy bit more… like I said, I haven't a clue… (how embarrassing!) hahahah… but seriously, I'll be as surprised with the end as much as any (or all) or my readers…. Shucks… that made me sound like some sort of pro writer, didn't it? I bet it did… :-P

**Anyway, thanks again guys… lurve you:-P**

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"What do you think it means, Mr. Potter?" James shrugged, pulling the letter nearer to him for closer scrutiny under his seeker's eyes.

"Ms. Evans?"

"Well, it's all rather disorganized, professor." She replied. "But I guess that the obvious would be a great place to start."

"Very well. And what, exactly, is the obvious?"

"One minute." She said. The she turned to James. "Um, Po- _James_. Would you mind holding Jessie for a few minutes? I want to take another look at the note."

James simply held out his hands for Jessie, and was so careful, she barely even stirred, her adorable baby snores never missing a beat. Watching him receive Jessie so surely yet so calmly, and to watch him treat her as if she were a beautiful fragile glass butterfly made Lily's heart melt, and once again, made her feel deep pools of guilt at ever thinking James Potter was as callous as she thought he was. He might still be callous, but maybe not that much…

Lily took the letter to get her mind off her thoughts. "Hidden lies a secret…" she thought aloud. "That's definitely talking about Jessie."

"'Where love first came to be'… What's that supposed to mean?" James asked her. "We found her in a bag rack… so love originated in a bag rack!"

"Shhh!" Lily chided. "I _highly_ doubt that. Let's go back to that later."

"'Hidden in the room above'… now _there's_ your bag rack!" James smirked.

"See, I told you…" he said. Lily just decided to ignore his comment.

"Prying eyes… those stupid Death Eaters!" Lily cursed under her breath. She couldn't stand the thought of anyone ever believing in such a blood-fuelled cause.

"Less cursing, more perusing." James reminded jokingly, then quailed as Lily sent him a death gaze, before her eyes softened.

"yeah, you're right… spoken curses aren't going to help Jessie…"

James meanwhile, looked at Dumbledore. The headmaster looked back at him.

'_She said I'm right!_' James mouthed, delirious with joy. Then he turned to the still-asleep Jessie, bouncing her gently in his arms, mouthing the same thing, and it was all Dumbledore could do to hide a chuckle. He had known for quite a while that James had a thing for Lily, and a growing suspicion that Lily liked James back. Why not? It _had_ happened before…

"Professor, I'm lost." Lily finally admitted. "I've always been horrible at poetry, writing or otherwise."

"Have you any ideas, Mr. Potter?" Dumbledore asked James.

"No, sir." James said, not delirious anymore, but happy just the same. "No idea." Which wasn't exactly true either. Right now, there _was_ one idea going through his head, but that involved Lily Evans, a little cottage with a picket fence, and a cooing baby in her arms… WoW…

"Ehm… hello?" Lily was really, _really _doubting James' sanity by now.

"Hmm?" James was clearly still in Lily-la-la-land…

Lily sighed in slight annoyance. "Ok, sir, I just can't think about this anymore… "

"I understand, Ms. Evans. I'm sure that this came as a shock. Now, you would want to know what is going on?" Dumbledore replied, eyes twinkling.

It wasn't a statement, nor was it a question. Lily couldn't be bothered to do anything anymore. It seemed that the only thing she could do was relieve James of the 'burden' of carrying Jessie, though he quite honestly didn't mind.

"Now, before I explain everything, let me give you a little background information on our little Jessie Mystèra."

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As he said this, Dumbledore conjured up a plate of sandwiches and two goblets, filled with pumpkin juice. There was also a baby bottle, in case Jessie decided to wake up hungry. Attached to the plate was a note on which was written: 'Please help yourselves.'

Lily and James really considered turning down the offer of sandwiches, but as it was _way _past dinner, and they were naturally hungry. So they both shyly grabbed a sandwich, taking care not to drop any crumbs on Jessie, still fast asleep and snoring in Lily's arms.

Then James had a flash of inspiration, and Transfigured a near-by silver spin thing from Dumbledore's desk into a cradle. He then lifted Jessie from Lily's arms (he could see the exhaustion in her eyes). Lily even granted him a wan smile, and he felt like cheering.

'Best save that for later.' he told himself, turning to face Dumbledore again.

"Quite ingenious, Mr. Potter." The headmaster approved. "Now, to Jessie."

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"As you know, her parents were Aurors. Jon and Kerry Wilkes were two of the best Aurors in the ministry. They were also two of the best students Hogwarts had ever seen. Head Boy and Girl in their time, you know. Not too long ago, either. Jon was a Gryffindor, chaser on the team. Absolutely exceptional flying. Kerry, on the other hand, was a Ravenclaw, short-listed into several prestigious magical universities, most noticeably the DuRiche Academy at the age of 14. Very exclusive."

"Wow. She must have been brilliant!" Three guesses who that was from.

"Yes, Ms. Evans, she was. Another one of her talents was poems. She was a very good poet, and was even enjoying a certain celebrity before being accepted into Hogwarts. Though this is not one of her most inspiring poems, it still has a certain degree of importance, does it not? She was clearly in a rush to write this, but that was necessary, under the circumstances."

"Mmmm…" Lily murmured, reaching absently into the crib to touch Jessie's soft baby fuzz.

"Now, to the poem itself. You were right, Ms. Evans. But I take it that you would rather hear the explanation?"

Both teens nodded.

"Hidden lies a secret, where love first came to be." Dumbledore read off the parchment. "Where did you find Jessie?"

"The bag rack… in the Heads' Compartment…" James replied.

"As you know, Jon and Kerry were both Heads in their day. Sappy as it may sound, the very first time Jon met Kerry was in the Heads Compartment. Needless to say, it was love at first sight."

"Awww. How sweet!" That was Lily.

"Where love first came to be…" James murmured. He knew where _his_ love first came to be. 2nd compartment to the last, first day of 4th year. But that's another story.

"Hidden in the room above, not for prying eyes to see, be safe for now and forever more… " That was Dumbledore once more. "I believe that all the rest is self explanatory."

"Yes sir, all except the last line. Why was Jessie called 'their Mystery'?"

Then, in James' mind, it all clicked. "Don't you get it, Lily?"

"Get what?"

'Her name is Jessie **_Mystèra_**! I bet you anything that that's a variation or derivation of the word **mystery**!"

"Bravo, Mr. Potter." Dumbledore nodded approvingly. "So named for her eyes. Brilliant smoky purple, if you haven't noticed. Not many people know her by that name… it was safer to use it."

Lily and James nodded, understanding.

"Now, I have a favor to ask of you."

Both teens paused, sure of what was coming.

"I would like it if you could care for Jessie until a suitable relative can be found. This may take an infinite amount of time, I must warn you."

Both replied without a passing hesitation. "Sure."

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Sirius, Remus, and Peter strolled into the Great Hall. They knew not to wait for James, as he had told them about seeing Dumbledore and everything else of the train.

"Hey, Pete!" Sirius nudged peter in the ribs, just noticing something about his friend. " Where'd you manage to cut yourself this bad!" he asked, motioning to a deep cut that ran the length of his friend's pudgy left jaw.

Strangely, Peter grabbed his left forearm. "F-fell down the stairs, Padfoot. No big."

"Couldn't heal it with magic?" that was Remus.

"n-no. Now, shush, Dumbledore's talking."

Remus and Sirius swapped looks behind their friend's back. Since when did he pay attention to what Dumbledore had to say? Something was definitely going on here…

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Dumbledore rose, Lily and James along with him.

"Well, Ms. Evans, Mr. Potter, thank you for caring for Jessie, temporarily, I assure you. Now, for tonight, your things have been moved back into your old dorms, but shall be moved to the Head Dorms tomorrow. Is this suitable?" he asked, and they nodded.

"Ms. Evans, Jessie is in your care tonight, yes?"

"Yes sir. I'm sure that no one would mind her being in my dorm."

"Very good. Now, I'm sure that you are both exhausted, and if you don't have any questions-"

"I do sir." James was raising his hand sheepishly into the air.

"Mr. Potter?"

"Sir, what are we going to do with Jessie during the day? Or are we exempt from classes?"

This brought a chuckle. "I am sorry to tell that you that you must keep dreaming, Mr. Potter. During the day, however, Jessie will stay with either Professor McGonagall or Madame Pomfrey."

"Um, sir?" Lily's voice was timid. "I'm just wondering if it's safe to leave Jessie with anyone else… I've become rather attached to her…"

"Don't worry, Ms. Evans. Madame Pomfrey is quite capable, and Professor McGonagall, though I admit she doesn't seem like the motherly type, is fond of children. She's had 6 of them, herself. Amusing, they are, absolutely amusing."

Lily was amazed. Professor McGonagall, a mother? Okaay… Alternate Universe much.

"Are we allowed to keep Jessie on the weekends though, Professor?" James asked, and Lily was shocked. She didn't think he wanted to get more involved with Jessie than necessary. Proved her wrong then, apparently.

"Why not, Mr. Potter?" Dumbledore replied, twinkle in his eyes. "Just keep her safe."

"We will sir." They assured him. Lily walked over to the crib and picked Jessie up. James followed her over and turned the crib back into the silver spin thing, which he replaced on Dumbledore's desk. Then he and Lily bid the headmaster goodnight and left the room, Jessie fast asleep on Lily's shoulder.

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**A/N: ok, so it's relatively short, but hey, things are getting tough to cope with at the moment. So yeah. Now, anyone catch the hidden 'wound' meaning in the last few sentences? Who can tell me exactly where Peter got it? Props and a cookie if you can:-P you also get the next chapter dedicated to you, if you get it write:-P**

**Thanks guys! Hope to hear from you soon:-P**

**Luv you guys:-P **


	13. Fuzz and Feedings

A/N: well, it's me again. Hopefully I'm not as unpopular as I could be… :-) Anyway, thanks guys! Here's a new chappie! Congratulations to **OTHCharmedHPFreak** and **Eyes of a Seer**, by the way, you got the "Peter's Mysterious Gash" question right! The chapter is dedicated to you! And for those of you who didn't get it, Peter was the Death Eater in Chapter 6 that Lily hexed then stunned. Thanks anyway those who tried but didn't get it…

**Dark Queen of Peaches-** HEY you reviewed! (does the happy ALIVE WRITER / REVIEWER DANCE with Dark Queen of Peaches!) well, no, Peter didn't have to give blood to the British heart foundation, but hey, it's an idea… I might just use it…. Hahaha… I'm serious…

**Eyes of a Seer-** YuP! Got it right! That means you got the chapter dedicated to you:)

**iluvgerardbutler- **got a new one, right here for everyone:)

**lilplum19-** thanks…

**Marauders babe-** liked your review… made me laugh… Hahaha… thanks…

**MissCheviousHP-** Your reviews are always a joy to read… I look forward to reading reviews such as yours, because I know they're going to be sooo beautifully long:) I'm happy you like Jessie and Onyx. I love the adorable little fluff ball… I really tried to make him as adorable as possible, without making him human, you know? I'm sure that it came as a shock, McGonagal having kids, huh… I was laughing my head off as I typed it…. Cute huh? Rather proud of that little tidbit of info, I am… :) And I agree, Peter is rather sketchy… too bad though,. But you didn't exactly get the gash bit… it was in chapter 6… though it never actually said it was Peter, but in chap. 6, Lily hexes a Death Eater in the exact same spot (the jaw)… not all that clear, I admit, but that's why whoever guessed got the chapter dedicated to them :-P

**Nancy Its really good e-mail me the next chapter.**

**OTHCharmedHPFreak-** So sorry you had to re-read everything… but you got it right though! Kudos!

Anyway, thanks again, everyone, I'm loving it that I'm back too:-)

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James walked Lily over to her staircase. He smoothed Jessie's baby fuzz and gave her a kiss on the head, breathing in her warm baby smell. The he turned to Lily.

"Goodnight… James." She said, heading quickly up the staircase, to hide the smile that had appeared on her face. She didn't see the smile on _his_ face as he murmured.

"Goodnight Lily."

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James walked into his dorm and was immediately pummeled by as many pillows, and other stuff besides, that his fellow marauders (and unfortunately, dorm-mates as well) could reach.

"I give, I give!" He cried, throwing his hands up in defeat. "What do you buggers want?"

Sirius lay sprawled on his bed, and looked at James lazily out of the corner of one eye.

"We saw you on the map, Prongs. So, what happened with Evans down near the stairs, huh? With Jessie watching as well… Naughty, naughty, Prongsie!"

"What? When?" James asked, utterly mystified.

"Few minutes ago, dumb-bum."

"Nothing. I gave Jessie a kiss on the head, then Lily said goodnight to me, and left."

"So it's Lily now, Prongs? Or is it one-sided, like it's been since like, forever?"

"Shut up, Wormtail." James noticed the gash. "WOAH! What happened to your cheek, mate?"

"Slipped down the stairs, I told you! Now, shut up yourself!"

Remus, James, and Sirius all leaned away from Peter. "Mate, calm down!" James held up his hands. "Now's the first time I could talk to you. Don't go biting my head off over it."

"Sorry Prongs. You know, stress and all…" He cleared his throat. "Now, I'm exhausted, so, well… goodnight." Then he turned over, facing his back to everyone else, and soon started snoring.

"What gives!"

"Who knows, Padfoot. For all WE know, it really could be stress…"

"Thank you, Remus, Mr. Logical."

"Shut up, Prongs."

"Shut up yourself! Or I'll make you!" James threatened. "Even better! I'll get **Tia** in here and let her do it for me!" That brought the desired effect, and Remus blushed to match Lily's hair.

"Not. A. Word."

"Remus and Tiiiiiiiiiiia, sittin' in a treeeeeeeeeee! F-u-c- ARRRRRRRRRRGH!" Sirius was pelted with pillows, quills, spare bits of parchment, and a textbook or two.

"OW!"

"Anyway, Prongs. What's up with Jessie and Lily?"

James told Remus everything, and when Sirius stopped groaning in pain, he listened in as well.

"Poor Jessie! So, you Heads are taking her in, right?"

"Moony, your heart is WAY too big…"

"You aren't!"

"Chill, Moony, We are. You can help baby-sit, if you want."

"I do! I do! I DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" That came from under the mess on Sirius' bed.

"Yeah, Padfoot. You can help as well."

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Lily walked quietly up the staircase, shutting the dormitory door shut behind her. It was lucky that she heard the warning whisper, because that gave her only enough time to spin around and clasp Jessie to her chest protectively, as pillows and spare parchment flew her way.

"Lily! Hey, Lily, are you ok?" That was Alice Johns, a quiet, pretty girl in their year and house. She shared a dorm with Lily, Tia, and Kara.

Lily turned around slowly.

"OH MY GOSH!" Alice screamed, and Tia and Kara (the pillow-throwing culprits) jumped on her and clamped hands and a few pillows on her face to shut her up.

"We'll tell you everything, Alice, just please, shush!"

"Alright, Alice. You calm yet?" Lily walked over to her friend's bed, and gave a 'hello' hug to each of them. Alice hugged her back, but was still watching her warily.

"Who's the father?" she asked in a scandalized whisper, looking even more scandalized when all the other girls started laughing.

"Just so you know, Alice, she isn't mine. Her name's Jessie."

Just then, the little baby in question woke up, and proceeded to cry loudly.

Lily walked over to her bed and opened the small cabinet she found there. She took out a bottle of formula and sat down on her bed, and started to feed Jessie. Meanwhile, all the other girls were cooing as they crowded around her shoulders.

"Awww… isn't she sweet?"

"Lily, you'd make a perfect mother!"

"Gosh, have you seen her eyes? Beautiful!"

"Shhh! Can't you see she's falling asleep?"

After Jessie had fallen asleep again and set in a crib that Alice had transfigured from a spare piece of parchment, Lily told the girls everything.

"How sad!"

"Poor thing!"

"I'd hate it if that ever happened to me!"

"McGonagal's a MUM!"

"Alright, girls. We all feel absolutely horrendous for Jessie, I know, but we've all got to get to sleep. I still have to give her over to Madame Pomfrey first thing in the morning. For all our sakes, I hope Jessie's a sound sleeper!"

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It turned out that she was, and all the girls had a pleasant nights' sleep. Early the next morning, Lily woke up to find everyone else fast asleep, Jessie included. She gathered up her clothing and stepped into the dorm's bathroom.

But just as she started to lather up her burgundy hair, Jessie's screams woke up the dorm.

Lily rinsed her hair hurriedly, throwing on her clothes and rushing out, looking like a mess, to find the other three, lethargic-looking, but still giggling softly, feeding a content-looking Jessie.

"Aw, you three look so cute!"

"And you look a mess… finish up your shower, we'll finish up here, hey girls?" Tia asked around.

After assuring Lily that Jessie was in safe hands, the girls waited for Jessie to finish feeding, putting the bottle away. Jessie then started to cry once more.

"What now!" Alice asked, panicking.

"I don't know!" Tia replied, equally stressed. "I'm an only child!"

They both turned. "Kara!"

"I'm an adopted youngest child! How the heck am I supposed to know?"

Just then, Lily came out of the shower, looking more relaxed than when she went in.

"What's wrong, Lily?" all three asked, near tears.

"Did you feed her?"

"Yeeeeeeees!"

"Did you see if she wet herself?"

"Yeeeeeees!"

"Did you burp her after feeding her?"

"Ye- No."

"Bingo. May I?"

They relinquished Jessie pretty quickly, and she calmed down, nestled against Lily's shoulder.

"Hey guys? Jessie's going to go now! Say bye, Jessie!" Lily said, waving the infant's closed fist.

"Bye Jessie!" Tia called, facedown on her pillow.

"Bye Jess!" Alice called, half asleep.

"Buh-bye baby…" Kara came over and gave Jessie a kiss on the head. "I'll see you later, k?"

With that, Lily left the Dorm and walked on to the Hospital Wing.

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Madame Pomfrey greeted her at the door.

"Is this Jessie?" she asked, as Lily handed her the sleeping baby girl. "I knew her parents. Absolute opposites, they were. You remind me a lot of her mother, Kerry. Head Girl in her day."

'And scarily, Jon was rather like the current Head Boy, James Potter, as well.' The nurse thought to herself, shocked.

"Thank you for taking care of her for James and I, Madame Pomfrey." Lily said, after the nurse seemed to blank out for a bit.

'So it's 'James' now?' the nurse thought. So maybe all those rumors in the staff room had some truth to them…

"It's no problem, Ms. Evans. She's in good hands."

"Alright. I'll be back to get her at around 4, after classes. Is that alright?"

After being told that it was, and thanking the nurse, Lily walked down to the Great Hall to start breakfast. It was still pretty early, and she wouldn't have been surprised to be alone, but she wasn't. James Potter was down as well.

He greeted her as she sat down.

"You're down early." She commented.

"Only on Mondays. I like practicing alone on the Quidditch field. So, where's Jessie?"

"With Madame Pomfrey."

"Oh. Good."

"Yeah…"

"I asked Dumbledore, and he said that we had a choice: Jessie could stay in your room, or in mine, or she could also have her own room, accessible from both of ours, of course."

"Have you decided?" Lily asked, pouring syrup on her waffles.

"I… actually, I thought you'd like a say in the matter." James said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck, his cheeks turning a bright red.

Lily, for the billionth time in less than two days, found herself amazed. Less than a week ago, she had considered James Potter a jerk, and wouldn't have spent time with him even for all the Galleons in the world. But now, she wasn't so sure. He was nice, and sweet, and caring, and thoughtful…

"Um, hey Lily? Mind getting back to me on that? I kinda have to go practice…" James interrupted her trance.

"I think she should have her own room." Lily said decidedly.

"We think alike then." James smiled and walked off, broom in hand.

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Lily was now thoroughly confused. What was she supposed to think? One minute Potter was uncouth and rude, but the next, James was sweet and polite. This wasn't a good thing to think about early in the morning. She decided to go for an early morning walk by the lake, her favorite place to think.

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Before she knew it, it was time for breakfast (although she had already eaten). She went back in just in time to see McGonagal handing out timetables, and took a seat next to Kara and Tia.

She glanced eagerly at hers.

"Great! Double Potions first thing! Too bad it's with the Slytherins…"

"Roma first, huh?" Tia commented from her left side. "That's not too bad, at least…"

"It's not Roma anymore!" Kara reminded. "We've got a new potions teacher, remember? Dumbledore introduced him last night. Prof. Slugtail or something like that. Seems cheery to me, not like that stupid Prof. Roma, biting off your head for having a blue potion instead of an azure one. Same difference, in my opinion."

"Yeah, so anyway, today's double Potions, Arithmancy, Care of Magical Creatures, Herbology, and then double Charms. Seems like a great day for you, Lily. All your favorite subjects, and doubles as well. Lucky. Are you sure you aren't hiding any Felix Felicis anywhere?"

Lily laughed. Just then, Dumbledore, up at the Teachers' Table, rose. Professor McGonagal tapped her glass goblet to get the students' attention.

"As I was unable to do so last night, let me introduce to you our Head Boy and Girl for this year, both from Gryffindor. Congratulations to Mr. James Potter and Ms. Lily Evans. "

Applause greeted the news and both James and Lily stood up to be acknowledged. Lily was embarrassed and blushed, but James stood up with a smile and waved to the other students, making them laugh.

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Lily's day was perfect. The new Potions teacher, Slughorn, seemed perpetually happy, and at the end of class, actually gave her a bottle of Felix Felicis for being the first to completely synthesize a bezoar.

Charms went well too, as they were simply reviewing all the charms they'd learnt previously. With Tia as her partner, Lily had been in constant stitches of laughter, as she and Tia watched Tia's supposedly Banished pillow fly around and around the room in circles, 'accidentally' dive-bombing Professor Flitwick.

Later that day, after saying good-bye to her friends, Lily made her way to the Hospital Wing once more, to pick up Jessie.

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Lily arrived at the Hospital Wing and was surprised to see James there as well, already holding Jessie, bouncing her up and down in his arms. She was cooing with delight, and James seemed to be having fun as well.

"Hey!" Lily greeted them. "Have you been waiting long?" she asked James.

"Not really. Oh, I forgot to tell you: Dumbledore wants to see us. I think he's going to tell us what to do with Jessie now that she's here. We can talk to him about the room decision as well."

"Ok then. When does he want to see us?"

"Now, preferably." Came the voice of the Headmaster behind them. James and Lily spun around.

"Oh, hello sir!" James greeted him.

"Mr. Potter, Ms. Evans." Dumbledore acknowledged them. "If we would all proceed to my office now, we can talk there."

The Heads nodded, and walked behind him, James still carrying Jessie.

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A/N: now things are looking longer… but don't worry… nothing bad happens next chapter, I hope… :-P


	14. Rooms and Playtime

**A/N: Thanks to my absolutely beautiful reviewers! Sorry this chappie's short, but school is not kind… :-(**

**AlexisHaliwell89-** Here's more! Thanks for your review!

**Dark Queen of Peaches-** Nah, she can't be Harry's sister… actually, I don't know what to do with her yet… :-P

**dreamergirl86-** Sorry I made you wait so long, btw…

**Midnightblue93-** A little tension is good once in a while… it makes that fact that they're together sooo much cuter… at least, I think so… :-P

**MissCheviousHP-** you have **_7_ little sisters**? Gosh! I've only got two! I've got brothers though… So how many are you in the family, 8? Or have you got, like, brothers? Coz 8 siblings? Gosh, that's scary! Hahahaha…. I hate Peter too… I'd commit a very satisfying murder where he's involved… he and Snape… I hate them both! So nice to _Avada_ them both to death… but then it wouldn't be slow and painful… :-( I'm a genius? (blushes) well, great minds think alike, don't you agree? I love your review! So beautifully long:-P keep up the great work!

**Mooneylover-** hope you like this chapter too…

**Teh Spuffeh Lover-** AHH! ear-piercing scream you reviewed, you reviewed! I'm glad you found it funny, I was busy laughing my insane head off while writing it, and would have felt so bad if I found out it wasn't funny:-P and don't worry, Peter _will _get his come-uppance, low down stinking rat that he is… so yeah… I expect he'll get into a lot of trouble and unexplained pain… I'm rather sadistic that way…. :-) The Marauders Army? Sounds interesting enough to convince me to join an army… :-P love the name, for one thing… Marauders Army… has a great ring to it…. :-P Thanks for reviewing!

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Lily and James walked to Dumbledore's office. It seemed that Jessie, although frightened at first, was fascinated by the staircase and the sound it made. She cooed in awe and clapped her hands as the stairs moved upward.

"Someone's having fun." Lily commented to James as he held Jessie.

"Hm. Yeah. Wait, are you talking about me, or her?"

"Her actually."

"Oh. Then, I wouldn't know."

"Um… okaaay… fair enough…"

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"So, Mr. Potter, has Jessie's living accommodation been decided?"

"Yes, professor. We decided that she'd have her own room, though it has to be accessible through either mine or Lily's."

'So it is indeed Lily now?' Dumbledore pondered. That would mean that Madame Pomfrey hadn't been joking when she had announced the change earlier at the staff table. 'Hmmm…'

"Of course, Mr. Potter, that was in the original plan, was it not?"

"I only thought to remind you, sir."

"I may be quite old, Mr. Potter, but I assure you that my memory is still quite intact. Now, Ms. Evans, do you have any questions? You've been silent thus far."

"Sorry sir. I was just wondering when, exactly, we would be staying in the Head Dorms, and if this kind of- isolation, if I may- would be safer for Jessie…"

"All plausible doubts, I assure you, Ms. Evans, but don't worry. Jessie's safety is paramount. And as to when you can move into the Head Dorms…" he glanced owlishly at the clock above his head. "I will escort you to the Dorm… now."

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The Heads Dorm was on the 7th floor, near the Teacher's Staffroom. Dumbledore accompanied the teens and Jessie as they trudged up step after step after step. After a while, Jessie began yawning.

"How can she be sleepy!" James asked incredulously, "when all she had to do was lean on whoever's carrying her and be as cute as possible? We're the ones who've had to trudge up all there stairs!"

This prompted a smile on Lily's face. "That's what babies do, James. Sit tight and look cute. They're good at it, you have to admit."

"Hmm…" James replied, as Lily took Jessie in her arms. "Hey, we're here!"

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'Here' was in front of a painting of two toddlers, who were playing with some blocks. When Jessie saw it, she reached out and touched the canvas, as if she could touch the other children.

"How cute!" Lily exclaimed, bouncing Jessie up and down.

James, however, said nothing, watching the children on the canvas.

The boy had dark hair and eyes, while the girl had light sandy colored hair and brilliantly green eyes. James looked up at Dumbledore, waiting for an explanation, but the Headmaster seemed extremely preoccupied with something he saw on the ceiling. James wondered if it was supposed to be a sign, the way the painting seemed to be so alike him and Lily.

Just then, as James watched, the boy handed the girl a block. She looked at it for a moment, turning it over in her hand, then, without warning or provocation, threw the block at the boy's head. It hit him square on the forehead and he crawled out of the frame, crying.

James winced. 'It's a sign, alright. Ouch!'

"Oh, Mr. Potter, Ms. Evans, the password is 'Lumina'. This is only temporary, and you can change it at your leisure, of course. Now, I best be off, and you best go in…"

James and Lily nodded, and stepped up to the painting.

"Lumina." James said, and the picture simply faded into nothing, allowing them to walk in, then solidifying behind them once more.

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Lily's breath caught in her throat when she walked through the painting. She was in a common room of sorts, the walls a stunning white, with shimmering red and gold patterns on it (which seemed to change, she noticed), the furniture a deep red, like velvet. There was a massive fireplace at one side, which seemed to be made of white marble. The floor was covered in white carpet, so soft and thick, it came up to her ankles. There were large bay windows, with thick red drapes, fluttering in the night breeze. Subtle gold accents flashed everywhere. There was also a grand staircase in the middle of the room, which led to three different doors. Lily walked up the stair, to the left-most door, and read the plaque.

"Lily Gabrielle Evans" It read, in Lily's own neat cursive. "Head Girl". Lily felt a surge of pride at the sight of her name. Then she noticed a piece of paper stuck underneath the plaque. She pulled it off and opened it.

_Ms. Evans, _it read.

Congratulations once more on making Head Girl. Once you enter your room, please give it time to adjust and to fit you. I'd suggest closing your eyes. It won't take long. Congratulations.

Albus Dumbledore

_Headmaster_

'What the?' Then she shrugged, deciding to give Dumbledore the benefit of the doubt. She walked into the room and saw blank wall, windowless and glaring in its whiteness. 'What?' She remembered Dumbledore's note and closed her eyes, though feeling slightly foolish. When she opened them a few moments later, however, she was beyond stunned. The once-bare walls had painted themselves a soft cream color, with large ambiguous swirls of the deepest jade, shimmery, like liquid glitter. Lily also found that she had several bay windows at her disposal. Carpet, thick, like she liked it, on the floor, the same shade as the swirls on the wall. Deep emerald green, she liked to call it. A king-sized four-poster bed, the bedspread green with gold accents, and many pillows on it, some green, some gold, and some white. And cuddled up right on the bed, incongruous among all the green, a little ball of orange and white fluff, which was snoring gently.

"SanChi!" She walked on, across the landing. The delicate-looking little cat raised its head sleepily for a scratch or two, then collapsed again, soon snoring once more. "Sheesh." Lily said, gazing lovingly at the little cat, before leaving her beautiful room, (rather grudgingly) to explore the rest of the dorm.

She walked across the landing to the next door, which claimed that it lead to a bathroom. She decided to give it the benefit of the doubt.

James had also gone upstairs and came out of his room, carrying Jessie, just as Lily walked toward his door. She didn't notice what his plaque read, because he dragged her in.

"Come to Jessie's room. We can design it together."

She barely had time to notice his room (black with red and gold touches, befitting a Gryffindor, as it should.) when he pulled her into what seemed to be plain wall.

"What-" The words barely left her mouth when she found herself in another blank room. Knowing what to do now, Lily closed her eyes, seeing James, and even Jessie, do the same. She imagined the room she wanted for Jessie. In a few minutes, she opened her eyes to paradise. If you were a baby, at least. It was a large, brightly colored room, filled with stuffed toys and other playthings, and containing a large crib, changing area, and even a play house, large enough to house a real family of about 4. There were rocking horses, and even a mini merry-go-round.

"A carousel?" she asked, turning to James. He shrugged.

"I don't know… it seemed nice. And besides, I always wanted a carousel in my room. Never mind." He said hastily, seeing Lily's raised eyebrow.

"Really? Cute."

"NO! NOT really." Vehemently, and even to his own ears, James knew he was lying.

"Adorable! Personally, though, I always wanted a pony. A real one."

"Oh. Fair enough." James said, for lack of anything else to say.

He put a happily cooing Jessie on the carpet. She crawled around and laughed gleefully, crawling over to a stuffed dolphin, which was as big as she was, and cuddling it.

"Awww…" Lily said, going over to join 'her' baby.

James, watching from the doorway, smiled contentedly. 'One day…' he thought, 'he and Lily would have a place like this, and it would be like this moment…' then he snorted, mentally. 'Like that'll ever happen… she hates my guts. _Still_ hates my guts. Will _forever_ hate my guts.' What he wouldn't give to make this moment last forever. He sighed, noticing the door that connected to Lily's room.

There was nothing he could do. And when Jessie cooed inquiringly in his direction, he followed Lily's lead and sat down to play.

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A/N: SHORT! I'm sorry, but it's tests this week and next, so it's got to be heartbreakingly short… Sorry… Please review though…


	15. Shopping and Secret Meetings

**A/N: **From now on, I shall be making up random awards and giving them to the reviewers as I see fit… The first award goes to **Teh Spuffeh Lover** for being **"The Most Peter-Should-Die Reviewer"** this week… trust me girl, I am all for your cause…. Next award goes to **Dark Queen of Peaches **for having **"The Strangest Way of Describing Dumbledore"**… seriously… demonic? That's new…

Hahaha… thanks to all who reviewed, by the way… oh, and I noticed that I'm on the story alert list of at least 17 people, but so far, I've gotten 4 reviews… COME ON, PEOPLE! Does my story really suck _that_ much!

**Thanks once more to all the BEAUTIFUL reviewers… I would be super depressed without you…**

**Dark Queen of Peaches**- I'm glad you like Jessie! And I'm just curious to how Dumbledore can even seem demonic or satanic… honestly, that's a new idea…

**dreamergirl86**- glad you liked it! I plan on describing James' room further, though…I mean, black and gold and red isn't really an ample description, is it?

**Phantomof theOpera**- I'm really glad you like it so much! Hope you enjoy this new chapter…

**Teh Spuffeh Lover-** Don't worry… Peter is going to feel pain… a whole LOT of pain… I'm playing with the idea of having nifflers claw his eyes out, on the basis that they're so big and shiny… Hahaha… as for James and Lily, Lily doesn't really know whether or not to hate him or love him… she doesn't hate his guts anymore, not really, but they're still really unstable, and like one thing could blow the 'friendship' thing sky high. Black is such a nice decorative colour for a room, isn't it? why people don't like it is a total mystery to me… Anyway, here's another new chapter… I hope you like it!

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"Oh, the weekend! Finally! Oh beautiful freedom!"

"Yes, Kara, we heard you the first time… You didn't need to repeat it… especially _NOT_ 60 times!"

"61, actually…" Lily corrected Tia, looking at her watch, an action the Tia noticed.

"Time to pick up your baby, huh?"

"Well, she's not really mi-, well, yea- I mean, no- but- she- argh! FINE! YES! Tia, I hate it when you mess up my mind that way!"

Tia chuckled… "Hey, what are friends for?"

"Yeah… Jessie's in McGonagal's office today, yeah?"

"Yeah… What reason did Dumbledore give the school again? You know, for Jessie's being here?"

"That she's your cousin, Lily and that her parents were killed in one of Voldemort's rampages… Not exactly in those words, but you get the point… Why don't you remember, Lils? You usually quote Dumbledore's speeches verbatim even months afterwards."

"Yeah, but I was too centered on Jessie… I wasn't even at the welcoming feast, remember?"

"Yeah… What's the password again, Lils?

"Cioccolatino." The tapestry in front of McGonagal's office dissolved and the three girls walked in. They were surprised to see McGonagal, and no one else.

"Professor, where's Jessie?" Lily asked, starting to panic.

"Calm down, Ms. Evans. Potter has already been down to collect her. She's in your dorm already. Adorable, isn't she? Reminds me of when my kids where her age…"

The girls excused themselves and split up, Lily going up to the Head Dorms.

"Unidades Belleza." She stepped in and saw James sprawled on an armchair, watching Jessie play happily on the super-thick rug, smile on his face.

"Hey Jessie! There's my girl!" Lily called, picking the baby up off of the floor. Jessie gurgled and put her tiny hand on Lily's cheek.

"Lily!" James walked over sheepishly, puppy eyes turned on full to blasting. "Sorry I got Jessie myself, the guys just wanted to say hi… You didn't freak out too much, did you?"

"Could have been worse. Just please don't do it again… You know, cause unwanted panic…" Lily said, touching Jessie's little tufts of hair.

"Ok… um, did McGonagal mention that tonight is the first prefect meeting?"

"No. It's going to be here, though, right?"

"Yeah… at 9."

"Ok… that's enough time to put Jessie to sleep… "

"Yeah. What are we discussing tonight, anyway?"

"Well, there's the Halloween Feast… and maybe the Christmas Ball, if we get enough time… "

"Right. And all this with the Prefects?"

"Well, we can't discuss it on our own, now can we?"

"Sorry. No need to decapitate me over a moment of stupidity though… "

"Mmm. Sorry. "

Jessie gurgled, looking between the faces of her two caregivers. They, in turn, looked down at her.

"Yes, Jessie?" Lily asked, cuddling Jessie to her.

Just then, James saw a flash of red outside the window.

"Fawkes?" he said, wondering why Dumbledore's phoenix was there at the Head Dorm's window.

He went to the window and drew Fawkes in, as the bird gestured to a scroll of parchment wrapped around its leg.

"Lily, letter from Dumbledore!" James called, from the window above the staircase.

"Oh yeah? What does it say?"

James read aloud.

**Mr. Potter and Ms. Evans,**

**How are you? I trust that your first week of school has been favorable. **

**As you know, as Heads of the student population, you are entitled to a few **

**benefits.**

("Oh, really? Like what?" Lily called up.)

**Of course, you have the Heads' Dorm, which I hope you enjoy. You are also **

**allowed twice-a-month private Hogsmead visits, apart from visits with the **

**rest of the school. You are also allowed a house elf each, who will be **

**available at any time. Feel free to go down to the kitchens and pick one. Mr. **

**Potter, I trust that you know the way. Please take Ms. Evans with you when **

**you do pay the house elves a visit. Just so she knows the way…**

("You do?" Lily said, as James read the last bit. "Why am I not surprised?"

"Yeah, I do…" James shot back.

"Ok, that's good. Now, what's a house elf?"

"Just give me a second to finish reading the letter."

"Fine then, be that way…"

"You can never pull off a snobby look, do you know that?"

"Shut up James. Read on."

James chuckled in reply.)

**Oh, and as for Jessie, who after only one week, is being lovingly referred to **

**by both staff and students alike, as "Head Baby", I would suggest that you **

**two take her shopping tomorrow, in one of your Hogsmeade weekends. She **

**needs clothing as well, if you haven't noticed. I've enclosed money with this **

**letter. It's legally Jessie's now, from her parents' Gringotts account. I wish **

**that I could suggest a baby-clothing store, but find that I am rather **

**uninformed on that subject. **

**Perhaps Professor McGonagal might be of more assistance.**

**If you need my help, I shall be in my office… I currently have a craving for **

**Sugar Quills…**

**ALBUS DUMBLEDORE**

"Oh… Kay... That sounded very Dumbledore-ish." Lily commented, at a loss for words.

"He's a brilliant man, though, you've got to give him some points for that, yeah?"

"I guess… Anyway, guess what, Jessie!" She said, turning to the baby in question. "We're going shopping tomorrow! Unless… you want to come, of course…" She said, turning to James shyly.

He stopped to think. Shopping with Lily and Jessie… Is that really how he wanted to spend his day? Ah, hell… Anything to get deeper into Lily's good books.

"Guess the Head Boy, Head Girl, and Head Baby are going to Hogsmeade tomorrow…" James ventured, already questioning his decision.

Lily's smile was all the answer he needed. Jessie was happily cooing in Lily's arms.

'This is perfect…' James thought, watching the love of his life and her little baby.

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The next morning, the trio made their way to Dumbledore's office.

"Sugar Quills." Lily said, laughing, as she watched Jessie pull James' glasses off, giggling maniacally all the while.

"Ok, Lily… Tell the truth. What did I do to deserve this alienation of Jessie's affection? You do know that that makes strong grounds for divorce and custody, right?" he queried as the rode up the revolving staircase.

"Ha ha, James, funny. Really. But do _you_ know that, as the female figure in this family, I will usually win the custody battle, if one ever comes along?"

James roguishly raised his eyebrow (the one that wasn't under siege by a hyperactive baby). "Family? Harboring little family fantasies, Lilykins? Especially of a family with _our_ kids running around?"

Lily blushed. "Misuse of a word, Potter. Don't get your hopes up."

"Oh, so it's Potter now, huh, Evans?"

"Why, yes, Potter, it is." Lily replied, knocking on the Headmaster's door. After a 'come in', but teens and baby entered.

"Mr. Potter, Ms. Evans. I take it that today is shopping day?"

"Yes sir."

"Mr. Potter, you seem to be under attack, hmm? Ms. Evans, if you would."

Lily was tempted to say that she liked Jessie where she was, but decided to take the baby out of James' hands anyway. Jessie immediately calmed down and gurgled happily when Lily took her out of James' hands.

"Hey! That's unfair! Professor, did you see-? She- Lily- I mean, Evans- Unfair!"

"Problems, Potter?"

"Yes, there's a problem, _Evans_!"

Dumbledore felt an instant of panic. Potter and Evans? When did that happen? Less than as week before, they were at the 'Lily and James' state of Headship. What had happened!

In less than the time it takes to blink, the playful banter had turned into a full-out war.

"It's your fault the baby keeps attacking me! What did you do!"

"_I_ didn't do anything, _Potter_. Jessie decided to do it all on her own! Brilliant of her, if I may say so!"

"You had something to do with this, I know it!"

"Prove it, Potter! Merlin, and here I was thinking that you had actually changed! Turns out I was wrong." Lily was on the verge of tears now.

"Excuse me, Headmaster. _Jessie and I_ need to get going if we want to find her proper clothes."

Lily, with Jessie in her arms, spun around, tears flowing down her cheeks. James and Dumbledore watched them go.

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"Eh?" Jessie cooed inquiringly, raising a little hand to Lily's wet cheek.

"Sorry, Jessie. Let's get to Hagrid's, shall we? The carriage waits… Guess it's just going to be two of us today." Lily paused. They had arrived at Hagrid's hut.

"Hey Hagrid." Lily said, greeting her gentle giant of a friend.

"Lily. What's wrong?"

"Two words. James-bloody-Potter."

"Ah." With that said, Hagrid guided her into one of the school carriages, before heading off to Hogsmeade.

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"What's wrong, Jessie, girl? You're awfully quiet." Lily commented, watching Jessie, who seemed to be less bubbly that usual. "I'm really sorry you had to see that. Sometimes James- I mean Potter- James- whatever. He gets on my nerves sometimes, you know? And now, it's worse, because I finally thought he'd changed, I finally gave him a chance… and when I finally started to feel- never mind, that's not important. He blows it all away. He really is nothing but a prat after all…"

The carriage stopped then and Lily and Jessie got out, and thanked Hagrid.

"Professor Dumbledore says to be back by 4, alright?"

"Sure, Hagrid. Thanks." And Lily and Jessie went off to do their shopping.

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Lily and Jessie made their way through Hogsmeade, looking for one of the shops that McGonagal had suggested.

Lily was still fuming slightly because of the fact that James Potter was being pratty, but she was already accepting the absurdity of their argument. After all, Jessie was just acting her age, showing the curiousity that came with her natural baby-ness… Right now, the Jessie in question was playing with one of the many curls in Lily's long auburn hair.

"Ok, Jessie-girl." Lily said, bouncing the happy baby gently. "Here's the first shop. Baby Wonders… Got to say, the name is… popular… So, wanna give it a try?"

Jessie's answering giggle was all she needed, and together, Jessie and Lily pushed through the doors into the shop.

They were immediately greeted by a motherly-looking witch.

"How can I help, loves?"

"I'm shopping with my… cousin, Jessie." Lily said, remembering Dumbledore's reason. She might as well get the story straight.

"Yes, your… cousin." The witch said skeptically, while under her breath she murmured, 'Teenagers these days, I promise you. No sense of propriety. Children having children, for shame!'

Nevertheless, she continued. "Ok, we've got the girls in this area," (the right side of the store) "and the boys' section to the left. Just tap the clothes you want to fit with your wand, and they will appear on Jessie. Tap them again and they will return to their hangers. The dresses are near the back, these racks here are day clothes, and a few racks over are the little pajammies. If you need any help, just shoot up green sparks… well, if you are underage, then…"

"Don't worry, I turned seventeen a few months ago."

"Ok. Now, all our clothes are charmed, so they won't shrink, are self-washing, and won't rip. Unless in extreme circumstances. They also become warm in cool weather and vice versa. Now if you need me, remember, green sparks."

The woman still looked skeptical, as she left Lily and Jessie to shop.

Lily wandered through the day clothes aisle, looking for something for Jessie. She still had clothes from her house in France (which had been sold), but had lost many others, her parents having packed most for their extended trip to England.

Lily picked out a small t-shirt-shorts pair, tapping them once on her wand. She held Jessie at arms length to scrutinize.

After deciding to get it, she picked out another outfit, and decided on that too. She then moved over to the 'pajammie' section and picked out a little pajama set for Jessie. It was pink and black and had small lace borders. Adorable on Jessie. She seemed to like it too. She cooed and gurgled when she saw herself in the mirror.

After a while, Lily decided to go to the other stores, and paid for the outfits she chose. She then went to 'Bebe Chic'.

They apparently, sold dresses too, and the tiny dresses captivated Lily. They were beautiful little gowns, 'princess' gowns, as she used to call them as a child. There was one that captured both girls' attentions. It was purplish, and the color went from little white bell sleeves, to a dark purple hem. It was covered in white beadwork, and took Lily's breath away. How much would something like this cost!

She looked at the price tag and felt her heart rip into shreds. All that money for a dress? For a baby, no less. Unthinkable.

"Aren't you even going to let Jessie try it on?"

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Severus Snape crept along the corridors, making sure he wasn't followed. The Dark Lord's orders had been given, and he was expected in a secret room in the Slytherin Dormitories.

He slipped into a secret passage and a few moments later, came into a room. Four other hooded people were already in front of the cold stone fireplace.

Snape arrived just in time, as green flame suddenly appeared in the fireplace, along with the head of the Dark Lord.

"Master." They all knelt reverently before the fire.

"Yes, my Death Eaters, it is I. Has everyone followed my orders? Malfoy."

"Lord." He replied, his blonde hair an eerie green in the firelight.

"Bella."

"Master." Bellatrix's beautiful dark, deep-set eyes betrayed an inner cruelty.

"Regulus. Our newest member."

"Lord Voldemort." Regulus Black's face was an evil reflection of his brother, Sirius'.

"Lestrange."

"I am here, my master." Rodulphus knelt next to Bella, their hands clasped.

"Severus."

"My lord."

"Very good. You have all come. I have a mission for you, my trusted ones. Listen closely. The sooner it is completed, the better. Your job is to…"

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A/N: cliffies! TWO IN ONE CHAPTER! I know you hate me, but the next chapter is going to be worth the wait (I hope… :-P) how'd this chapter measure up:-P please tell me! I really want to know:-P


	16. Gifts and Apologies

A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed! **JL4EKK, lovelylily14, PowerAndChaos, total-darkness-orange-cat, SerenityRose016, Hafsa, blade13hjp**, and **dreamergirl86,** welcome to the insanity that is 'Our Demented Destiny'! It's so nice to see new names on a review list! I'm so glad you guys like my story. Now, to the awards! Three awards this week! The first one goes to **Dark Queen of Peaches**, award being "**The Only One Who Tried To Give A Name To The Guy In The Mysterious First Cliffie In Chapter 15**"! Gosh that was long! Hahahaha… well, congratulations to you anyway. You'll see if you got it right if you read the chapter… (If that's not bait, I don't know what is…. Hahahaha…) Award number 2 goes to **total-darkness-orange-cat** for "**Having The Word CAT In Your Name**." That award is also known as the "**Interesting Name**" award, for future reference. Now, Award number 3 goes to **Teh Spuffeh Lover** for sending "**The Nicest Review**"! I swear I was blushing at my computer as I read your review. Thanks so much, I love reviewers like you! Oh, and I almost forgot.

(Tamsididi doubles amount of rat poison set out by Teh Spuffeh Lover.)

Now thanks again, and on to the story! You guys keep up the great work! Hope to hear from you! Lav ya!

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"Aren't you even going to let Jessie try it on?"

Lily spun around, startled, then annoyed.

"Yes, Potter?" She spat. "What are you doing here? Come to accuse me more?"

He sighed. "Look, Lily, I'm sorry that I said all those things… They were unjustified, and I'm a jerk and an idiot. I'm sorry. I apologize." And for once, he left out the puppy eyes. His hazel eyes were filled with true remorse and humility. Lily couldn't help but soften towards him, though she decided to torture him more and simply turned away without a word. James, deciding that this was a good sign, dared to speak.

"Aren't you letting her try it on? She'll look beautiful in it."

Lily sighed and gestured at the price tag. "That may be true, but it's more expensive than five of my newest outfits put together. She'll just outgrow it… it's impractical."

"Just try it on? See, she loves it!"

Jessie was tugging at the dress, gurgling in wonder.

"Oh, alright. Just to please both of you. But if her poor little heart breaks, you take all the blame, James, you hear me!"

"Loud and clear, love."

Still sighing, Lily tapped the dress with her wand, and the little dress popped onto Jessie. The little girl cooed and clapped in delight as she saw herself, resplendent in soft purple. Lily couldn't help but leave the dress on for just a while longer, but then, all good things had to end, and Lily tapped the dress back onto the hanger. Jessie burst into tears.

"Here, let me…" James offered, taking the crying infant into his arms and rocking her back and forth, singing softly. Lily looked on the verge of tears as well. James stopped to make a split second decision… before shooting green sparks into the air and casting a non-verbal silencing charm on Lily. Watching her gesture and threaten wordlessly, he handed the dress on its hanger to the sales assistant who came to respond to the sparks.

"We'll take this one." He told her, handing over a small pouch filled with Galleons.

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Once they had left the store, James removed the silencing charm from Lily.

"Wha- Why'd- But- Why'd you get the dress James?"

"Look, you both loved it. I saw it in your eyes. And the reason I cast the charm on you, well, I couldn't have you tell the sales person that we couldn't afford the dress…"

"But, your money, that dress wasn-"

"It doesn't matter. Money isn't a problem in my family. The cost is justified." He cleared his throat, signifying that the subject should be changed.

"Hmmm. It was really sweet of you though, I mean, you just made Jessie's day."

"Anything for our little girl, huh Lils?"

"I guess. Hey, James, thanks for following us here. You weren't the only jerk in Dumbledore's office."

"All forgiven, yeah?"

"Thanks…"

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"Ok. Last shop on the list. Oooh. Swimsuits! Come on, let's go check it out!" Lily said, heading toward the shop, before stopping mid-step. "Um, James, you don't have to come along, unless you want to… I'm sure you've got some other shopping you want to get done… We can meet you in the Three Broomsticks in half an hour, if you want..."

James made a non-committal noise before kissing Jessie on the head and walking in the direction of the Hog's Head, disappearing from view behind a building. Lily and Jessie watched his go before entering the shop.

"Hey, isn't this adorable?" Lily asked Jessie, pulling out a little white one-piece with big neon pink ruffles on the shoulders and waist. Jessie tilted her little head to the side.

"No? What about this?" A little yellow polka dot bikini. Just the sight of it made tears form in Jessie's large purple eyes. Her lower lip started to tremble.

"Ok, ok, I get your point." Lily said hastily, looking around for another suit, before taking one from the rack. "Now, this is cute. Don't tell me you don't find this cute." She said, holding up a black one-piece with different sized purple and white circles. Jessie clapped her hands in reply.

"Ok. So this one it is."

The girls paid for the suit and a pair of flip-flops each (Lily got black ones and Jessie got little purple ones), and left the store, Lily decided against getting another swimsuit ("I already have three sets… who needs another one?"). They walked leisurely to the Three Broomsticks, where she ordered a butterbeer for herself and a bottle of milk for Jessie, and they settled down to wait for James.

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The youth in question walked in a few minutes later, holding a big bag of Honeydukes' products.

"We should start heading back, Lils." He mentioned, after having a flagon of butterbeer. "It's a half past three now."

"Yeah, actually." She acknowledged. "We should."

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Meanwhile, back at the castle, Sirius Black was bored out of his skull. Not only was James at Hogsmeade, but he had the cloak and had left his two-way mirror behind! Sirius felt very very lonely. Remus was doing some Potions essay, and Peter was down in the kitchens pigging out.

What was he to do! He decided to make lists. But what about?

**List #1 (also known as 'the NEVER TO EAT LIST'):**

**Silver **(lycan or not, still not a good idea)

**Rat Poison **(applicable to all animals, especially rats)

**James' Socks**

**Chicken remnants from under the bed **(Sirius shuddered. The last time he'd pulled a stunt like that, it had cost him two weeks in the Hospital Wing, in terrible pain, even with Madame Pomfrey's help.)

**Peter's 'secret' candy stash **(Peter ripped up and burnt all of his Captain Courageous magazines, and stole his favorite dust bunny, Scamper. )

**um…**

He smiled. There was nothing else that the famous Sirius Black couldn't ingest. Speaking of food, a trip to the kitchens sounded good.

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Head Boy, Girl, and Baby arrived at the castle shortly before four, heading straight to their Dorm. Lily, after putting Jessie to sleep in her room, put away all their purchases and went down into the common room to look for James. He wasn't there, so she supposed that he was in his room.

"Oy, James?" she called from the couch.

"Yeah-huh?" came the muffled reply from his room.

"Come down here, will ya!"

"D'ya mind coming up to my room instead? I'm kinda busy…"

"Fine, but you better not be up to something, James, or Merlin help me, I will rip you to shreds."

She crossed the landing and knocked hesitantly.

"It's open… no need to knock, Lils, it's only me…"

"Common courtesy…"

"Come in, will you? I don't think the room bites any more than I do."

"Fine." She stepped in and saw James trying to entangle himself from his sheets. She couldn't help laughing. "What, did the bed decide that it wanted 'Cute Teenage Boy' for dinner?"

James was stunned. "Do you realize what you just said?"

"Why? I only asked if the bed wanted…" it hit her. "Oh. Um. Ha… Ha?"

A loooooooong, awkward silence followed. James extracted himself from his heap of blankets, as Lily suddenly took an interest in the room and it's décor.

"Your room's beautiful." Lily ventured, breaking the silence.

And it was. Three walls were black, while one was a deep blood red, which had a large glass window, with a breathtaking view of the Hogwarts Quidditch field and the Forbidden Forest beyond. All four walls had shimmery gold runes running across them at all angles. A big four-poster stood in the middle of the room - James had just rescued himself from its' gold and black covers - and there was an armoire and various other pieces of furniture, all made from hardwood. There was a large fireplace as well, and the floor was black marble. The door that led to Jessie's room was disguised as a tapestry.

"Absolutely… beautiful…" Lily said again, awe-struck.

"Thanks…" James replied, somewhat quietly. "Most people would think that the colors are somewhat satanic, you know, black and dark red and stuff, but I find them therapeutic…"

"I know… I mean, this is perfect… not a color I'd choose for my room, but this is a great idea! You're a genius!"

"Thanks. You know, you've just broken a record…"

"And what would that be?"

"Today was the first time that you've complimented me twice in the same day…"

Lily felt herself blushing, and James couldn't help but think she looked adorable that way. A shy silence settled over the room.

"Yeah…" Lily said finally, still pink… "I guess it is…"

"Yeah." James echoed, before opening a bedside drawer and pulling out a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. "Catch."

"Thanks." Lily replied, "These are yummy. They're one of the best things that Honeydukes sells."

James was appalled. "What could be better than Every Flavor Beans!"

"Well, there's their chocolate, and their Sugar Quills. Absolutely mmmm… Nothing can top a Sugar Quill. They get annoying to unwrap. I can never eat one without breaking it to pieces in the process… I feel so bad for whoever has to wrap them in the first place. But that changes nothing. They're still the best."

"No way… Who'd want all that sugar in their system? I manage to go insane after a box of beans, and they only contain 2 sugar. I'd hate to think about what would happen if I even try to eat a Sugar Quill… I actually did once." He shuddered. "Nightmare. I got into so much trouble." He smiled sheepishly. Lily felt the sudden temptation to give his a hug, because he looked like such a child.

"What happened?"

"You saw what happened. I turned Sirius into five different mutant animals in about 3 seconds, and tried to moon McGonagal. In Year 4 Transfiguration. Sirius spent a week in St. Mungo's after that, remember? And I got a year's worth of detentions."

Lily laughed. "Oh, yeah. Aside from cackling dementedly the whole while. That bad huh?"

"I should be allergic to sugar. It just isn't good for me."

"Suit yourself. Personally, I just adore it… I live off the stuff… It's a rather bad habit, actually…"

"Fair enough." James admitted, before adding, with a roguish glint in his eyes. "I still think Every Flavor Beans rule."

"Alright, I'm going to leave before I seriously hurt you." Lily said, a laugh betraying the 'deadly glare' she was sending his way, totally forgetting why she was looking for him for in the first place.

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As she walked into her room, she noticed a rather large package on the bed. It bore the design of the swimsuit store she and Jessie had entered earlier. There was a note attached too.

**Dear Lilykins,**

**I'm sorry for being such a jerk. Accept my apology?**

**James**

**p.s: Well, in case you already accepted my apology… I'm still sorry…**

Lily couldn't help but smile. What had he got for her?

She opened the bag and pulled out a haltered bikini top, which tied at the back. It was black with white stripes, which varied in thickness. She was in shock. Hadn't she been looking at the exact same suit earlier? How had he known? She loved it, and if it weren't for the fact that she'd forgiven him ages ago, she certainly would have forgiven him now.

"Wow."

Just then, she realized that Jessie was waking up, and went to check on her baby.

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James, who was watching Lily unwrap the package through her half-open door, heard her "Wow" of delight, and was smiling to himself, pleased that he had made her happy. When he noticed her leave to check on Jessie, he slipped in and left a note and another little gift on the top which Lily had left on the bed, before slipping out of her room and into his own.

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Lily reentered her room, Jessie in her arms.

"What's this?" she asked Jessie, noticing the note and tiny wrapped package on the bed.

She opened the slip of parchment.

**Lilykins,**

**Why don't you and Jessie join me for a swim in the tub? It's as big as a pool, in any case. Please? I hope you've forgiven me…**

**James**

**p.s: If you've forgiven me but are becoming annoyed with all these 'forgive me' notes, please. This is the last one. Join me? The water's becoming cold, and it wouldn't be healthy for Jessie if you guys take your time.**

Lily was laughing. What gift had he given her now?

She picked up the small package, and immediately felt its fragility. She put Jessie down on her bed, and gingerly unwrapped the little gift.

She gasped in shock. James had given her an unbroken, perfectly wrapped Sugar Quill.

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A/N: SO, what do you think? I personally love this chapter, but I wanna hear what you think… do tell me, yeah? Thanks guys! Lav Ya!

**Oh, does Anyone know a guy named John Roska? He's about 14 or 15 years old, brown eyes and hair (I think…), tall, used to live in the Philippines… Haha… Don't worry, I'm not some obsessed freak or anything… I went to school with him before… Doubt he remembers me though… I'm just trying to track him down and so on… you know… I decided that this just might work… Any clue? Just tell me! You've got my email address or you can tell me in a review:-P Cheers guys! Thanks! Oh, and if you do know him, tell him that Tami says hi… Thanks again, lav ya!**

Now don't forget, people, review! Tetch-ooo! (That's Tami-speak for thank you!)


	17. Splashes and Heartbreaks

**A/N: Tamsididi runs and hides from readers holding flaming pitchforks. Guys, I'm really sorry… tried to make this longer, I swear I did… and it's about 2 pages longer than my usual… Please read it, and try to forgive me? The answer to the second cliffie's in this one!**

**Thanks to Jessica, Teh Spuffeh Lover, MissCheviousHP, Dark Queen of Peaches, october Tuscany, ****JeNnIfEr88, dreamergirl86**, **and to Bianca.**

**And for awards, The award for the ****_SWEETEST Review!_ goes to (two people!) Teh Spuffeh Lover, and MissCheviousHP! Yey!**

**Next, the _FIRST-REVIEWER-TO-USE-MY-NAME!_ award goes to Teh Spuffeh Lover!**

**And the _LONGEST! Review_ award goes to MissCheviousHP! Thanks much!**

**Now, the last, and most likely, most random award for this update, goes to MotherCrumpet, for what award? ****_THE-REVIEWER-WHO-LOVES-THE-THIS-IS-A-DIVIDER-THING! _Award! Congratulations! I'm glad you like it!**

**Thanks to all you reviewers, guys! I'm so happy when I get reviewed… You have no idea… So I think I've delayed you enough… Still wanna read my story:-P**

**Cheers… Tamsididi.**

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James was swimming laps in the Olympic-sized tub when Jessie and Lily came in. They were both wearing their new suits, and Lily had on a white sarong, tied at her hips.

James beamed at the two of them. Lily noticed that he looked different without his glasses… Not uglier, just different.

"Hey James."

"Hey yourself."

"Thanks for the suit, by the way. I love it."

"I know." Cheeky smile.

"Yeah. I meant to ask you about that. How do you know, exactly?"

James grinned. "Tia."

Lily grinned back. "I guessed as much. How's the water?"

"Warm. You guys didn't take that long."

"Didn't want the water getting cold, did we Jess?"

"Well, it still will be, if you don't get your butts in." James observed wryly from the tub. "The steps are over there, by the way."

Lily and Jessie walked over to the direction James was pointing, and found a towel rack, benches, and an already-inflated rubber ring for Jessie.

"You did this?" Lily asked James, picking up the ring.

"Yup. I figured you wouldn't bring your wand, and I sure didn't bring mine… and if you can't cast a Buoyancy Charm on Jessie, you might as well just not let her swim at all. I felt bad for her though, and went scouting in those cabinets over there, and found a whole stack of un-inflated… thingies. They're not that hard to blow up." He smiled sheepishly. "I have loads of practice. We have a pool at home, and those kids I told you about? They never seem to be able to swim. These must be new, though, 'cause they've got this seat thing, with holes for her legs. I've never seen this kind of… thing… before."

Lily laughed, and put Jessie gently into the rubber ring, making sure her little feet entered the right holes, before giving her a little push in James' direction. "Yeah. These are for younger kids, like Jessie's age, because they can't really support themselves in a normal rubber tube…"

Jessie was giggling happily and was splashing water all around. Lily untied her sarong and was about to get into the tub. James just couldn't keep his eyes off her. She was just so… perfect… Unfortunately, Lily noticed his staring…

"James…" she called to him, wondering why his mouth was hanging slack and why a glob of drool was about to fall out. "Uh, James… JAMES… OI, POTTER!" Lily shouted, her voice echoing in the enormous bathroom.

James replied with a clueless "Eh?"

Lily had to laugh. "Of all the clueless looks I've ever seen on you, James…" she managed to choke out, "that tops them all."

"What? Sorry."

"Yeah… No problem. Hey, would you mind keeping an eye on Jessie? I'll swim around for a while."

"Uh? Oh, sure. No problem."

Lily dove smoothly into the tub, and started to swim laps. James was entranced. He sort of froze in place as he watched her swim gracefully across the tub and back, coming up occasionally for air.

"Oooh." Jessie cooed, watching Lily as well.

James, standing in shoulder-deep water, finally remembered Jessie as her rubber ring came floating up behind him, and she reached up and hugged his head, temporarily covering his eyes.

He sputtered in surprise, causing Jessie to giggle. He turned and started to swim around and under Jessie, appearing suddenly at her side, before disappearing again. It soon became a game, as Jessie tried to guess where James would reappear, and James would try to confuse Jessie.

After a few minutes of swimming laps, Lily came up for air and looked around, pushing her auburn hair back from her eyes. Her heart melted as she saw James and Jessie playing happily on a shallow edge of the tub. Jessie was giggling and chattering happily in the warm water. James, Lily noted, would come up on one side of the ring, but only his eyes could be seen. He would then wait until Jessie caught sight of his hair, and she would pat him of the head, as babies do. James seemed to be enjoying their game.

Actually, James was having lots of fun. It gave him a sense of pure happiness to see Jessie smile, just like he felt whenever Lily as much as looked in his direction. He gently tossed a handful of water into Jessie's head, and he laughed as it dribbled down her face, making her wipe it off, as she made a face and giggled her head off.

She then tried to swipe water at James's head, but missed. She still giggled maniacally though.

Lily swam over and gently poked James in the back. He jumped into the air with an extremely "effeminate" squeal. Lily couldn't help it, and both she and Jessie started to laugh.

"Oh, stop it." James said, watching them both. They paid no attention.

"Come on…" he whined, to no avail.

"Please?" They continued to laugh, Lily now hanging weakly onto the edge of Jessie's rubber tube.

"Oh, fine then. Stupid women." He started to sulk, blushing furiously. Lily couldn't help it, and swam up to him, treading water because she couldn't reach the floor.

"You're a big baby, James." He didn't reply, only turned his back on her with a huge pout.

Laughing, she reached up and gave him a hug.

"There, you big baby. Did that help?"

He turned, his smile back in place and his eyes dancing merrily. "It might, if you do it again… And again… And again… And again."

Lily, treading water, slapped him playfully on the arm. He surprised her by splashing her with water, and she responded in kind, and a water war ensued. Jessie splashed and played alongside the teens. The perfect picture of a happy family.

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Severus Snape couldn't believe that his first assignment, of all things, had to be the one he was given. Everyone else had had exciting initiations, while he had… this. He sulked as he walked down the corridors near the Slytherin common room. But what could he do? No one questioned the Dark Lord. To even just _think_ about doing so just might cost him his life. His plan had to be set into action, and as soon as possible. But Snape couldn't help thinking, as he slipped silently along the deserted corridor, that the Dark Lord seemed to have cracked under the pressure of world domination.

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Lucius Malfoy met Snape in the North Tower at midnight.

"The Dark Lord needs results, Snape. Not promises. That's all you seem to give him."

Snape glowered. "I've been busy, Black. The plans are going to push through."

"Oh, yes… Those pathetic little thoughts you call plans." Malfoy scoffed. "Remember, Snape. Results."

Snape nodded sullenly, and watched Malfoy fly off on a broomstick.

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The Heads, Marauders, Tia, Kara, and Jessie were in the Heads Dorm Common Room, with the large windows open and a soft breeze wafting in, playing hide and seek. That is, they all tried to hide from Jessie, and the baby would crawl around on the thick carpet until she had found them all. The whole group was having fun, laughing when Jessie would find them.

Suddenly, Lily, who was peering over the couch at Jessie, noticed that she seemed to glow with a light blue aura, almost as bright as the stars that were currently outside the large windows… It got brighter and brighter, and she started to panic.

"JAMES!" she shrieked. "Something's wrong with Jessie!"

James took one look at Jessie, before scooping her up in his arms and running as fast as he could in the direction of the Hospital Wing. Lily followed close behind, on the verge of tears. She first ran into McGonagall's office, which was on the way anyway.

"Ms. Evans, whatever is the matter?" The Head of House had exclaimed, rising immediately and walking briskly to the Hospital Wing with Lily by her side.

Lily just managed to choke out the story as they arrived, and McGonagall was trying to soothe her. They walked into the room and noticed that James was sitting on a bed, with Jessie on his lap, being examined by Madame Pomfrey, as Dumbledore looked on. She was still glowing gently, but didn't look as if she were in pain. To the contrary, she was smiling and laughing, and trying to play with James' glasses. He, however, looked tense.

"So, what's wrong?"

"I don't know…" the nurse replied, as confused as he. "She doesn't seem to be in any pain…"

Dumbledore gave one of his half-smiles.

"Madame Pomfrey, if I may." He said, picking Jessie up gently from James lap, and looking straight into her eyes. He then put her down on the bed, and declared, "Brilliant of them, really. Now, no, Mr. Potter, don't touch her." James withdrew his hand. "She'll be alright in a few moments."

Lily rushed to the bedside. Was it just her or did Jessie look… older? And was the glow starting to subside?

It took a few more seconds before Jessie stopped glowing, and no one said a thing. Instead, Dumbledore just beamed, Madame Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall chuckled, and James and Lily rubbed their eyes and gawked in shock.

Instead of the bubbling 5 month old baby they had put on the bed, there was a toddler sitting there instead.

"Jessie! Is that her, professor!" Both Heads asked at the same time, heads swiveling to look that the Headmaster.

"I would say so." He replied, his eyes twinkling, and he reached out and picked Jessie up off the bed, handing her to Lily. "I think it was an aging charm."

"A what!"

"No way! WHO!"

He held out his hands. "Alright, alright… I will explain all later. Let's just be glad that that was all that was the matter, yes?"

Both teens hesitated before replying. "Sure." Lily kissed Jessie on the cheek, and the little girl threw her arms around Lily's neck.

"As of now, Ms. Evans," Dumbledore commented, "I think it would be wise if you and Mr. Potter went back to get reacquainted with this new Jessie. She's about a year and a few months, wouldn't you say, Professor McGonagall?"

She nodded. "About a year and five, I'd say." She motioned to Lily and smiled. "Be ready… she's due for her first word soon, or maybe her first step."

Both teens could only nod in shock, and move slowly back to the Heads Dorm.

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"This is unbelievable…" was all Tia could say, as the 6 teens (Peter excused himself to go down to the Kitchens) watched Jessie playing with a stuffed toy in her room. Jessie was giggling and cooing.

"Curiouser and Curiouser…" Kara announced, earning her a "What-er and What-er?" from Sirius and an approving smile from Remus.

"You know what I think?" James ventured from his spot on the floor a few feet away from Lily.

"What?" she replied.

"I think that her parents were the ones who put the charm on. It wasn't properly done though, or it wouldn't have lasted this long… It's been… a week, right?"

"Yeah, mate." Sirius replied, rather pantingly, since Jessie was now using him as a horse. Obligingly, he ran around the room on his hands and knees, finally collapsing near Lily.

"Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow…" he yelped, rubbing his knees. "Rug Burn."

This caused a round of laughter. Suddenly, Jessie crawled up to Lily and put up her arms, a sign that she wanted to be carried. Instead of babbling and cooing like she usually did, she looked into Lily's face and said, "Li- Lee! Li- Lee!"

Shocked silence enveloped the room.

"Did - was that - She just-" Lily couldn't speak from shock. "Are my ears working right!"

No one replied, and they just looked at the toddler.

"Li- Lee!" she said again, and this time, Lily reached up and cuddled her, as Tia and Kara jumped around the room. James conjured cigars out of this air, and handed them to his friends, who shook his hands and congratulated him.

"That's my girl!" He exclaimed, taking Jessie from Lily and giving her a big kiss on the cheek. "Now, can you say _my _name, Jess? Say James. Come on… Say it… James…"

All noise stopped, as people waited to hear Jessie speak. She seemed to revel in the attention, and she giggled. No one else made a sound.

"Ja- Jay- Jays..." she tried, but she couldn't pronounce it, and looked dejected at her failure. Sirius came to the rescue. "What about Prongs, J? Can you say 'Prongsie' instead?"

Jessie beamed. That, apparently, she could do. "Proh-sie. Proh-sie!" And she gave 'Proh-sie' a kiss on his cheek, as the room broke out in cheers and laughter and good-natured joking about James' new nickname.

Lily was the only one who noticed that his eyes seemed to melt into endless pools of hazel as he looked at the baby in his arms.

"Maybe he isn't so bad after all…"

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Just then, Fawkes flew into the open window, stopping before Lily so she could untie the message on his leg. Before flying off, he stopped by James and Jessie, pausing a moment to look into Jessie's eyes. It was a game between them whenever they met, and something meaningful always seemed to pass from Fawkes' golden eyes into Jessie's purple ones. They all watched as Fawkes flew out the window, before turning back to Lily.

"What does it say?" James asked, walking over to her, and recognizing the flowing script of the Headmaster.

Lily read aloud:

**Ms. Evans,**

**Please proceed to my office as soon as you receive this letter. It would be better if you didn't bring Jessie along this time, as you have somewhere to go. Mr. Potter, however, is to accompany you. I will now expect you in my office without delay. The password is Marshmallow Millipedes.**

**Professor Dumbledore**

"Oh, Merlin. Something's not right." She said, folding up the letter, before turning to Kara and Tia. "Girls, would you mind if.."

Kara reached over and took Jessie. "We'll be fine, Lils. You and James go ahead. The boys'll help us, won't you?"

Remus nodded and Sirius looked eager.

"That's what I'm afraid of." Lily joked, weakly trying to inject some humor into the tense atmosphere. It didn't work.

"Alright, guys. We'll be right back. Let's go, Lily." James called, and led the way up to Dumbledore's office. He noticed that she looked tense and worried, and he was sure that she would have walked straight into a wall had he not put a hand on her shoulder to guide her. Which was another sign. Had she been 'in touch' with her surroundings (and him), she most likely would have brushed it off. James started to feel sparks of panic.

They made their way up to the office, and found Dumbledore ready to go, a jar of Floo Powder in his left hand, and strangely, he was dressed in Muggle clothes.

He tapped Lily and James with his wand, and they found that they were both dressed in casual muggle attire.

"Shall we?" he said.

"Where are we going, Professor?" Lily asked, coming out of her reverie, and, yes, brushing James' hand off her shoulder. He was slightly hurt, but more relieved that she seemed back to normal.

"Just follow me, Ms. Evans. Mr. Potter, if you would… accompany… Ms. Evans… I believe you would both fit comfortably in the fireplace?"

"Yes sir."

Dumbledore nodded, once, just once, in a way that made Lily feel even more nervous.

He stepped into the fire and threw the green powder in. " Figg." He said, and disappeared.

"Shall we?" James asked, taking a handful of Floo Powder.

Together, the Heads stepped into the fireplace, and like Dumbledore, both disappeared.

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Two hooded figures rushed away from the structure, their mark growing menacingly in the night. Their work had been quick, and their victims, defenseless. It was pure pleasure to have done the job they had just accomplished. They paused at the corner to watch their handiwork. People were now gathered in front of the house, and several were trying to break down the front door, which was smeared with something that shone dark in the moonlight. They sneered coldheartedly, satisfied, as the door gave and four people rushed into the house, before disapparating just as the first loud wails split the night.

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Lily and James plopped out of a large fireplace.

"Hey, I know this house!" Lily cried out. "Its Auntie Lena's place!".

As a child, Lily had spent days in that house, only a few doors away from her own, listening to stories about her childhood, and her life. Magical, Helene had called them. And Lily thought she now knew why. Lena however, had passed away years ago, and her house was covered in a layer of dust that made James sneeze.

Wait a second. A few doors down from her house. Lily's heart stopped.

"Oh Merlin." Was all she could say, running out of the house and onto the street. The house looked too quiet, and the eerie skull above it glowed emerald to match Lily's eyes. She rushed in, followed by James and Dumbledore.

"Oh, no, oh, please, No…" she rushed from room to room, before finally stopping in her parent's room. There was no need for her to look at the congealing blood on the walls, or the wrecked furniture, or the scorch marks on the walls and ceiling to know the truth. Her family was dead and she would never see them again.

Never. The word seemed to echo for miles inside her empty head. She was only vaguely aware of Dumbledore and James as they ran in a few minutes after she collapsed, mindless, on the floor. Curled into a fetal ball, she was barely conscious, memories rushing through her head at an alarming rate. She desperately wanted to cry. _Needed_ to cry, but all she could manage was a soft moaning sound. As they watched silently, Dumbledore nodded to James, who lifted her up protectively in his arms, and, as she clung to his shirt and whimpered, Apparated with a soft pop.

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**A/N: I know you hate me… but could you just forgive me short enough to review? Please? I'm really sorry… and as a sign of my humility, I'm not going to give a lame reason for not updating… I bear the brunt of never being able to look you guys in the face again… feel free to flame me with all the flames of perdition, or hell, or whatever… I deserve it.**

**Your humble and cowering servant, TaMi.**


	18. Shocks and Lies

A/N: I'm BACK! I'm sure you all thought that I'd never show up again, but here I am! Look, I'm sorry for not updating… It was summer break, and I really couldn't spend it in front of my computer… I mean seriously, I need a life too, you know… not that I'm saying that those who live in front of their computers don't have lives, but I just needed a break from all the work… you know, I had been typing… my teachers love the computer… they thinks its some high-tech reason to give us homework that we simply can't do in an hour or less… the reports! shudder bad memories… trauma! TRAUMA, I TELL YOU!... … see… just typing about it makes me remember it all over again… a summer away from the computer was just what I needed.

No awards this week, sorry… Not coz you guys don't deserve 'em, I just didn't have the time to think of any… Sorry… THANKS TO ALL WHO REVIEWED!

Now, feel free to read. This chapter's better than I planned it to be… if I do say so myself… so, if you agree with me, feel free to review… if you don't then you will definitely have a reason to review… I live off them… so come on… and yeah, as an extra incentive, it's my birthday on Sunday… please leave me a birthday gift and review… Please? Now read…

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When Lily woke up, she found that she was in a cream room that smelled vaguely of disinfectant and glowed in the dawn light. Lily's head spun. Where was she? The room looked slightly familiar…

The hospital wing, she decided… so… what was she doing in the hospital? Her mind combed through its contents. The last thing she remembered was Flooing into Lena's old house… Lena's house… Her own house…

Then she remembered, and her heart rate shot up. She couldn't believe it. They couldn't be dead. No… Her parents and even Petunia. They never deserved it. She should have been there!

She jolted up, and sensed movements by her bed, looking down to see the tousled head of James Potter peek up from the pillows.

"Wassamatter? Are you aright?" he asked groggily, jumping up and nearly upsetting the chair that he had been sitting on since their arrival in the Hospital Wing 4 hours earlier. Lily took one look at him and burst into tears.

He immediately rose, and kudos to him, didn't even take the time to stretch his cramping legs, although he nearly fell over. "Shh…" he said, "I'm here for you, Lils.". He wrapped her in his strong arms, willing her to feel his care, and, much to his alarm, she started to cry even more.

She sobbed. "You- looked- looked like… my… dad… James…" Tears coursed down now, as the tears she desperately needed to cry came coursing down, flowing onto James' robe and onto the bed sheets. And yet she continued. James' heart hurt for her. He desperately wanted, _needed_, to make her hurt go away. He drew into as tight a hug he could manage, and rocked her slowly. As her sobs began to stop, he noted ruefully that had it been under any other circumstances, he would gladly have welcomed her arms around him and her head against his shoulder. As it was, all he wanted was to take away her pain, to hurt for her if he could.

Lily's sobs quieted, but she hung on to James. She didn't know many people who would stick by her in something this huge… Kara and Tia, definitely, but who'd have thought that James Potter, of all people, would be beside her on a hospital bed, hugging her as if his heart would break? She could feel it in the way he held her. He didn't pity her, but he empathized, and for someone, like Lily, who hated pity like the plague, that little technicality made all the difference in the world.

She leaned closer and put her head on his chest. She listened to his rapid, living heartbeat and felt the steady rise and fall of his chest. Her eyes slowly closed and she drifted off, her arms still around her waist, but now with a smile on her face.

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Two hooded figures knelt on a cold stone floor, in front of another on a throne-like chair.

"Well done." Rasped the seated one. "The mudbloods have been discovered. The first part of the plan has been successfully executed."

"Thank you, master." One of the hooded figures whispered reverently as they sank deeper into their bows.

"Now, Lucius, take the initiate-" here, he indicated the other figure, who was smaller and noticeably shaking. "-and send him back. He has more to do back home. Don't you?"

"Y- y- yes master." He squeaked.

The master yawned. "Now leave. You bore me."

Both figures bowed. "Yes, master." The larger one replied, before reaching out to the other and disappearing with a _pop_.

After they had gone, the seated figure stretched, grinning evilly. "And now, it has begun." He said, gleeful for the purge that was to come.

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James stayed with Lily until her release from the Hospital Wing. She felt better, and was coming to terms with her parents' murder. According to Dumbledore, she had a little hope left, because despite many searches, Petunias body had not been found. Under regular circumstances, that little hope was no hope at all, but for Lily, it was relief beyond words. There was still the possibility that there was a little of her family left, someone who could comfort and be comforted. Someone to be there the way no other person could. Bonded by tragedy.

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After he made sure that Lily was safely in the Head Dorms, James left to take a few turns around the Quidditch pitch. He did that when he was stressed and needed to think… And for a more shallow reason, his hair hadn't felt a breeze in days, and was starting to show signs of wilting. Now that James would have let it go so far.

He jumped on his Comet 260 and rose through the cloudless sky, flying laps again and again and again, higher and higher above the ground. As he rounded the bend, he noticed a flash.

'Who let a Snitch go?' he asked himself, before realizing that it was just a glint of a wristwatch, way waaaaay down below. He flew down and saw Peter Pettigrew standing on the grass.

"Hey Wormtail!" he greeted the smaller boy, who looked, James noticed, rather dazed.

"P-Prongs!" Wormtail replied, without much conviction.

"Wassamater, mate?" James asked.

Peter was noticeably shaking. Not that James didn't find that weird, but Peter was always shaking.

"James, it's Sirius."

James stopped in mid-stride. "What about Padfoot?"

Peter just whimpered, and James, whose nerves were already frayed beyond all reason, snapped.

He grabbed Peter by the shoulders and shook him roughly. "For Merlin's sake, Peter! WHAT the hell is wrong with Sirius!"

Peter's eyes were scared and wide. "I think he's joined You-Know-Who."

James stopped shaking him. "What?"

Peter started sobbing. "I do, James. He and M- Malfoy and R- Regulus and Kara Sovrinoski were running to the greenhouses. I s- saw them. 'Bout f- five minutes ago. You know she- she's a lynxantha, right?"

James just dropped Peter and ran. It just couldn't be true!

As he watched James' back disappear into the castle, Peter Pettigrew stood up, smirking. Message signed, sealed, and delivered. He always knew he would have been good for the stage…

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_10 minutes earlier_

Sirius Black was sitting calmly by the lake on the other side of the castle. Wand in hand, he was charming anything he could think of. Not that he could concentrate on what he was doing. There was something clogging his brain. Some_one_ taking up all that useful brain space. A certain girl with short black hair, dark blue eyes, a gorgeous smile… Marika Sovrinoski… Kara… Lily's friend… best friend… James' girlfriend-to-be's best friend… his best friend's girlfriend-to-be's best-

His thoughts were shattered by Tia, Lily's best friend, running up to him. She was out of breath and she looked flustered.

"Sirius, have you seen Kara?"

"No, I wouldn't have seen Sovrinoski in a while now."

"Don't you even care! I can't find her and I found this on her bed." She handed him a note.

He read it. It was clearly in her handwriting, even though he could barely make out the words.

"Don't know what to do… Don't have a choice… Just can't wait… will have to die…"

His heart froze. 'Will have to _die_!'

Just then, another student called out to Tia. Sirius couldn't see who it was.

"Tia, I just saw Kara. She was out front, near Hagrid's."

"Thanks!" Tia called, before grabbing Sirius. "Come on! You gotta help me!"

Sirius just got up and ran.

By the time they got to Hagrid's, there was no sign of Kara. Tia looked half-mad. "Oh great. I'm going to look inside again. Please look out here for me?"

Sirius nodded, already heading around to the pumpkin patch. Tia had gone in and Kara was nowhere to be seen.

Suddenly he heard something from behind a tree.

"Psst. Sirius. Come here!"

Then, again, a few moments later. "Sirius!"

He walked to the tree and found Kara. She was sitting with her back to it, crouched down on the ground. She stood up when she saw him.

"Hey Sirius!" she whispered cheekily, a naughty grin on her face.

"What are you doing here!" he demanded, subconsciously wondering why he was whispering, and wondering why she seemed to look different, almost _feral_. "Don't you know? Tia's-"

She put a hand over his mouth, and turned him around, leaning him against the tree. "Never mind Tia." She said, then leaned in and kissed him, roughly and without inhibitions. He kissed her back, and he knew that she could feel his want, but decided that it didn't matter. Who knew she was such a good kisser! After a few seconds, they broke apart. He wanted more but knew from experience not to push her. Turned out he didn't need to.

"I want you." She said, leading him toward the greenhouses. "Come on." She grabbed his wrist and started running. 'Who knew she could run so fast?' Sirius thought to himself, feeling her nails start to dig into his skin. He glanced down at her hand. 'That's strange.' He thought. 'She never grows her nails. They're always short.' Startling difference from her nails now. 'They must be about an inch long!'

"We're here." She said. And they were, in the most secluded alcove behind Greenhouse 3.

"Now give me a second, alright? I have a surprise for you. Now turn around."

He did, although he could sense that something was very, VERY wrong.

"Now." Sirius turned, before realizing that that wasn't Kara's voice. Not Kara's at all. And he was right. Before him, Kara Sovrinoski was quickly changing back into Violet Dextreter, Slytherin, certified tramp, and all-around Death Eater material. But what scared Sirius even more was the fact that behind her stood Lucius Malfoy, his brother Regulus, and Rodolphus Lestrange.

Violet leaned close and whispered in his ear. "You're too easy Black. A fantastic kisser, but… you're not my type." She stepped back as four Stunners hit him in the chest. He didn't even have time to pull out his wand.

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James arrived just in time to see Dextreter, Malfoy, Rodolphus and Regulus grab hold of Sirius and of the tree that they had changed into a temporary portkey. Before he could stop to draw a breath, they had disappeared, a small piece of parchment all that remained, and he stood rooted to the spot. Unable to move until the parchment landed on the ground. Regaining control over his feet, he ran over to the spot and picked it up. The note on it was rather long, written in small handwriting and covering both sides of the parchment.

'_Potter. This is a little message for you.'_

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Lily sat in the Head Dorm common room, a fire at her feet and Jessie on her lap. The toddler was playing happily, but looked at Lily and made a pout.

"Li-lee, hungry."

She smiled at the child. "Wanna go down to the kitchens?"

Jessie nodded and beamed. "Oh, alright then. Let's go."

'_This is a way to see where your alliances truly lie, Potter. Who would you save?'_

Lily and Jessie went down several flights of stairs, before reaching the painting that masked Hogwart's kitchens.

'_Your best friend…'_

Lily tickled the pear, and smiled as the handle appeared, just as an enormous pain flashed all over her body. She fell to the ground, and her attacker scooped her and Jessie up and, holding the handle of the kitchen as a makeshift Portkey, disappearing without a trace.

'… _Or the girl you love?'_

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A/N: Bwahaha! Dun dun dun dun! Now I'm sure I have to get some reviews… come on… please? It'll be the perfect birthday gift!


	19. Disgust and Torture

**A/N: I'm back!!! Haha… I'm sorry, I haven't updated in MONTHS!!! I'm really sorry… I promise it won't happen again… really, I AM sorry… If you haven't noticed, I wrote myself into a corner, and I totally had no way out… it took me this long to be able to write again and I don't even know if it's any good… so I'll leave you to be the judge of that… Have fun!**

**TaMi**

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James instantly turned and ran to the Head dorms. Finding that Lily and Jessie were nowhere to be found, he ran up to his dorm room, tearing up the stairs in his mad rush, and grabbing the map.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." He panted out, his heart racing as lines spread themselves in spider webs all over the parchment. He searched, top to bottom, side to side, but Lily, Sirius, or Jessie were nowhere to be seen.

Fearing the worst, James wiped the map clean, before turning and running as fast as he could in the direction of Dumbledore's office.

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Lily and Jessie landed with an 'umph' as they were thrown down stone steps by their attacker, who quickly shut and barred the door, extinguishing all light, except that by the little square window, high above her head. Just as she hit the cold floor, Lily thought she recognized Lucius' Malfoy's voice saying "There. She and the brat can't escape now. Let Potter try and rescue them _and_ your filthy blood traitor brother, Regulus."

'Regulus!' She thought. 'They've gotten Sirius!'

Just then, the door opened again, and two hooded, cloaked figures walked down the steps. Squinting in the light of the door, Lily quickly stood and clasped Jessie to her protectively, as she began to cry.

"Hand over the child, Mudblood." One of the figures said. Lily couldn't recognize his voice, but mentally labeled him Tall for further identification. He was a good hand taller than his partner, who she labeled Short.

"N- No."

"What was that?" Short asked Tall, a hint of disbelieving humor in his voice. "I believe that she refuses to give us the child."

"You don't say…" replied Tall, looking at Lily with an evil smirk. "I guess we'll just have to take the little brat by force then!" He lunged at Lily, but his friend pulled him back.

"No. She'll give her to us… Won't you, mudblood?"

Lily took a step back, and clutched Jessie to her even tighter. "Over my dead body."

Short laughed cruelly. "Tempting, but currently against the rules…" He and his partner moved closer, and Lily realized her mistake. They had her pinned back against the wall. "However, the Dark Lord never said that we weren't to harm her…"

"True…" Tall agreed. "Just not to mark her… After all, I'd hate to waste that body…" he smirked, running his eyes over her. She shivered.

Jessie was had stopped crying now, and was shaking all over, from fear more than anything else. She was whimpering slightly, but, like Lily, seemed unable to make any other sounds. Both girls watched as the figures pulled out their wands.

"Come on, mudblood." Short said. "_Imperio_!"

Lily felt her mind go blank, and all her worry just suddenly faded away.

'_Just give Jessie to the nice men…_' a voice prompted.

Lily almost agreed, but another voice, which sounded scarily like James', cut in.

'DON'T, LILY!'

'_Hand her over…_'

'NO, LILY!'

'_Come on…_'

"NEVER!!" She screamed out.

"Fine!" The taller one snapped. "_Crucio_!!"

Lily felt daggers stabbing into her over and over again. She fought, but couldn't avoid the inevitable blackness. She collapsed.

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James ran into Dumbledore's office, but the Headmaster was nowhere to be found. Fawkes was alone in the office, sleeping on his perch and making soft snoring noises.

Growling frustratedly, James turned to leave and found himself face-to-beard with Dumbledore, who had his usual alert look on his face and a twinkle in his eye.

"Mr. Potter, I find that a sleeping Fawkes usually calms people down, instead of frustrating them but if I- …"

James didn't let him finish. "Sir, someone's taken Lily and Sirius."

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Lily woke up, her senses screaming bloody murder. She hurt all over and her cheeks were damp, cool, and slightly sticky. She was lying on a cold hard floor. Dungeon floor. Where was she? She was definitely not in Hogwarts anymore. What had happened?

She tried to get up and found that she was bound, hand and foot, and that her robes were dirty and torn. Her panic increased. She tried to make a sound, but her treacherous mouth could only manage a weak moan.

At the sound, two hooded figures suddenly appeared at her side. She heard a cruel laugh that made her hair stand. She couldn't see their faces completely, but even their mouths looked pitiless.

"Oh, she awakes." One scoffed.

"How are you, mudblood?" sneered the other, kicking her in the side, making her gasp out in pain, remembering everything that had happened. Going down to the kitchens, appearing here, these two sadistic hooded maniacs, and pain… lots and lots of pain… and Jessie. Where was JESSIE?!

"Wondering where your baby is?" the first asked, and Lily's panic hit an all time high.

"I- If you- If you've hurt her-" she threatened weakly.

They kicked her again, and one leaned down and trailed a finger down her cheek, before showing it to his friend. "Hmmm… red blood?" He sneered and scratched her face further, and she could feel blood starting to flow.

The other chuckled cruelly. "Pity it's her cheek, and not her neck." She recognized him as the same guy, Short, who had taken Jessie from her earlier.

"Unfortunately, he wants her alive." And that was Tall.

"Unfortunately."

"Though she's mine once he's done with her…" Tall licked his lips, leaning close to her face. "And I plan on using her. " She turned away in disgust as he ran a finger down her jaw, his face creepily close to hers, "and using her, before, well, setting her aside.".

The other man laughed cruelly.

"Where's- my baby?" she rasped.

"Don't worry, mudblood. They'll need her too. Though most likely she'll meet the same fate."

They chuckled again, and Lily found that she was shaking from a mixture of shock, rage, and fear. They took out their wands, which Lily eyed fearfully, sure of what they were about to do.

"I wonder," sneered Tall, "if mubloods hurt the same way as we do… But first…" He leaned over to Lily. "Scream."

"What? In your dreams, loser." she was NOT going to be used as some toy.

"You heard me." The man leant over, and she felt his breath as his wand rested on her cheek. "Scream for me."

"Never."

"Well then…" he straightened up. "We'll just have to make you."

The other one laughed viciously and pointed his wand at her.

"_Crucio._"

Lily bit her lip to avoid screaming as a billion knives pierced her. She writhed and squirmed, but resolved not to give them the satisfaction of hearing her plead for mercy. She couldn't help letting out a small moan in the process.

"She really is a strong one, huh? I'll have a lot of fun when the Dark Lord's through…" The other commented, before pointing his wand at her as well. "_Crucio._"

The pain reached heights Lily thought physically impossible. She was on the verge of losing her mind, and would have given nearly anything to have made it stop. She couldn't take it anymore, and she could taste blood on her lip, where her bite had drawn blood. Her head spun and she passed out.

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James quickly gathered Kara, Tia, Remus and Peter. The girls were in tears, and Peter was pale and shaking. They were all gathered in Dumbledore's office and were discussing various ways of getting their friends back.

"Where are they, anyway?" Tia asked.

"I don't know…" James admitted. "You all saw the note. It said that I would be told what to do soon."

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Sirius was thrown into a large, gloomy room. The walls were slashed, and the drapes were hanging by a thread. Violet Dextreter laughed and kicked his prone form viciously in the side.

"Come on. Let's leave him here. The Dark Lord's waiting, and we still have to claim the child from the mudblood."

Together, she and Lestrange, Regulus, and Malfoy left the room.

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**A/N: So, I know it's really short, but when I write myself into holes, I go for the all-the-way-to-china type holes, and it's always so hard for me to get out. Anyway, thanks for reading, and I can't wait to hear what you guys have to say!**

**TaMi**


	20. Pain and Blood

**A/N: Thank you all for your brilliant reviews. I apologize for the delay though. So here you go. We ended the last chapter with the paragraph:**

_Sirius was thrown into a large, gloomy room. The walls were slashed, and the drapes were hanging by a thread. Violet Dextreter laughed and kicked his prone form viciously in the side._

"_Come on. Let's leave him here. The Dark Lord's waiting, and we still have to claim the child from the mudblood."_

_Together, she and Lestrange, Regulus, and Malfoy left the room. _

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Sirius opened his eyes into slits, hoping to recognize his surroundings without anyone realizing that he was awake. His chest hurt like a bull elephant had sat on him, and his head had its own heartbeat, but at least he was still alive. Rumor had it that Violet Dextreter could be a little rough in bed, and god knows what she was when she chose to be evil. One way or another, he knew that he wasn't in such a great position at the moment.

He had to think. He knew nothing about their plans, and he doubted that they would be courteous enough to tell him. This was probably some elaborate scheme to recruit him, orchestrated by his family. After all, he recognized the room. It was one of the many rooms in Malfoy Manor. He recognized the wallpaper, having had to attend many functions in the manor as a child. His parents had always been such friends with the Malfoys, it was no problem to imagine them planning his initiation with glee.

Just then, a scream from the outside made him bolt up.

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Lily could not move. Her muscles refused to work, and every heartbeat sent tremors of pain all over her body. She was alone once more in the room, and she lay with her face to the floor, the taste of her own blood in her mouth. She could not take this anymore. She wanted to die. It took all her strength to keep breathing, and even thought was beyond her. Her baby, what were they doing to her poor baby?

She crawled over to a corner and curled into a tight ball in the chilly darkness of her dungeon.

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James was beside himself with worry. There was nothing he could do. No one could make such a decision. He knew, knew that no matter what he chose, one of the most important people in his life – Jessie, Lily, or Sirius – would get hurt. In fact, as far as he knew, there was no guarantee that they would harm only one. For all he knew, it was already too late for all of them.

What could he do?

James continued pacing, listening to the worried plans of Lily's best friends and his own. Remus was out, since it was full moon two nights before, but Peter stood there, trying to help the girls, although he served only to get in their way.

Dumbledore watched the troubled teens with perturbed eyes. As all of them knew, this was not a threat to be taken lightly, yet none of them could do anything, because none of them knew where Lily and James were taken. Dumbledore especially watched his Head Boy. James Potter was pacing up and down and all around his office, pulling out chunks of his hair and muttering to himself. The poor boy could eventually lose his mind from so much mental anguish. There was nothing he could do to help, nothing anyone could do, until the next note arrived. After all, he knew, they wouldn't simply kidnap three people to test the difference of a friendship and a relationship. There was more to this. And nothing could be done until the next note came.

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Lily woke to the sound of the door being opened and a shaft of light flying into the darkness. As she shielded her eyes from the unbelievable bright, she heard footsteps walking toward her, and cringed instinctively into a ball.

A harsh laugh told her that her tormentors were back.

"Hello, mudblood." The taller of the two smirked. "Ready for more?"

When she didn't reply, she received an excruciating kick in the ribs. She gasped for air from the pain of it, and the two only laughed.

"We're nearly done with you, mudblood, so don't you worry." The shorter one said. "Your boyfriend may be here to save you soon."

His friend laughed. "Not that he's gonna succeed or anything." He leaned closer. "'Coz remember, you're _mine_ now."

Summoning all her strength, she looked up and spat at his face. Furious, he responded with a slap and drew out his wand, but before he managed to curse her, someone called through the open door.

"Macnair, Runcorn. The brat needs returning."

The taller one walked to the door.

"Here you go, mudblood, your precious little child." He threw Jessie at her and she caught the child, snuggling her up close and checking her over for any sign of injury or torture.

Aside from tear streaks and grime on her cheeks, the child was unharmed, but shaking with fear. Lily held her close and Jessie threw her arms around her neck.

"Jerks." She shot at the two men, knowing that that would earn her so much more punishment, but knowing that it needed to be said.

They did not disappoint, and their wands were pointed at her once more.

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Sirius jerked up at the sound of the sceam. He knew that scream. He knew that scream WELL. Lily Evans would not scream that way unless she was extremely frustrated… or in a lot of pain. Neither was a very good state for James' dearest Lilykins to be. He had to do something. Anything.

First things first. He had to find out what he was doing here.

Sirius walked over to the door and started banging and screaming for all he was worth.

"Regulus! Malfoy! Dextreter! OY!"

He kept up until finally, the door was opened and Lucius Malfoy forced his way into the room, wand drawn.

"What is your problem, Black? Or are you the nut-job your mother claims you are?"

Sirius went straight to the point. "What the hell am I doing here, Malfoy?! I've told my parents time and time again that I'm not joining that stupid 'Dark Lord'".

Malfoy grinned evilly. "**You** are not here for any reason, Black, but Potter doesn't know that." Then he stepped out of the room and slammed it shut behind him.

Sirius ran back at the door, but was surprised to find that he could not actually touch it. His hand bounced back as if the door had some sort of impenetrable protection. Growling his frustration, he collapsed on the floor to think as another of Lily's screams reverberated through the walls.

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"More, mudblood? You haven't screamed yet."

Lily put Jessie down in the corner of the room, as far from the men that she could, and leaned weakly against the wall, shielding the child with her body. "In your dreams, you jerk."

The taller one (Runcorn, she guessed), walked straight up to the corner where she stood, weak and bleeding. "A jerk, then am I?" he asked sardonically, before slapping her so hard she banged her head on the opposite wall of the corner wherein she had sought refuge.

Stars swimming before her eyes, Lily fought the urge to collapse. She was not letting them anywhere near Jessie. It did not matter what happened to her, just as long as the child stayed safe. She struggled to maintain her upright position, bracing herself against the corner, shielding Jessie behind her, taking the comfort from the small hands the toddler wrapped around her knee.

"Last chance, mudblood." Macnair smirked. Lily just stared back at him, trying to stabilize her heart rate before the next jolt.

"Close your eyes, Jessie-girl." She told the child, who obligingly curled into the corner and put her palms over her eyes, like this were a game of hide and seek. Lily, however, knew that the child was not playing from the way they both were shaking in fright.

"Hmm." Macnair snorted. "_Crucio_!!"

Lily could not help it. This time, she had millions of lemon-dipped razor blades slicing into every nerve. It felt like her very being was rubbed raw using a cheese grater before being rolled in salt. She could barely breathe. Blood was trickling down her lip from where she had bitten it numerous times, and she lay convulsing on the floor. She could not hold out much longer, the pain was so intense, she wanted to die, wanted it all to end, wanted blessed oblivion to take her away.

She never even realized that she was screaming.

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The dark, hooded figure on the throne waved his hand, and parchment and paper appeared by his side. He scrawled a short message and with a flick of his wand, the parchment rolled into a scroll and disappeared.

"Lucius," he called, summoning one of the men in his inner circle. "The message has been sent. Prepare a… _room_…for our arrival… Right next door to his dear girlfriend."

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**A/N: there you go. Liked it? Well, I'm currently at work on the next chapter, I swear, but I would appreciate reviews… Please and thank you. :P**


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